The law provides for tougher conditions for Russian applicants for Czech citizenship.
Czech President Peter Pavel signed a law expanding the protection of Ukrainian refugees from the war unleashed by Russia. The same law also provides for a ban on granting Czech citizenship to Russian citizens and criminal liability for unauthorized activity in favor of a foreign state.
This was reported by the Czech publication iDnes.
In the Czech Republic, temporary protection for refugees from Putin's war in Ukraine is valid until the end of March this year, but last year the EU agreed to extend it for another year. Temporary protection allows people who fled Russian aggression to gain access to state health insurance, education, and the labor market.
The changes to the law also provide that economically self-sufficient refugees will be able to obtain a special permit for long-term residence in the Czech Republic. Long-term residents must apply for permanent residence after five years, just like other long-term residents.
The amendment to the law also includes a new criminal offence for unauthorised activity in favour of a foreign state, which will be punishable by up to five years in prison.
The penalty will apply to people who “work for a foreign country or organisation with the intent to threaten or harm the constitutional order, sovereignty, territorial integrity, defence or security of the Czech Republic.”
The law also provides for tougher conditions for Russian applicants for Czech citizenship. Applicants from Russia will be able to obtain Czech citizenship only if they renounce their Russian citizenship and provide evidence of this.
Even if they renounce their Russian passport, applications from Russian applicants will be frozen, with the exception of political refugees and children under 15.
Recall that Ukrainians who have found asylum in the UK risk finding themselves in a difficult situation due to delays in extending their visas.
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