As the war with Russia nears its end, Prague prepares for a potential migration wave by tightening rules and scrapping temporary protections.
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| Czech Republic Ends Special Treatment for Ukrainian Refugees |
Right now, over 397,000 Ukrainians are living in the Czech Republic under this temporary protection. They’ve been given housing help, social benefits, and a place to breathe while their country burns. But Rakusan isn’t sugarcoating it. He’s worried. If Ukraine lifts martial law and lets fighting-age men leave, there could be a flood of people heading west. And the Czech Republic isn’t rolling out the red carpet for that.
“When the war ends,” Rakusan said, “temporary protection ends too.” No matter how it all shakes out, the rules will change. Ukrainian men looking to reunite with their families? They’ll have to go through the same hoops as everyone else. Social benefits? Ukrainians will be treated like any other foreigner. No favors, no shortcuts.
About half of those 397,000 Ukrainians say they want to stay even after the war. But Rakusan thinks some might change their minds once the new rules kick in. The Czech Republic figures it can handle about 200,000 in the long run. More than that? It’s anyone’s guess.
Meanwhile, Prague is teaming up with Warsaw to get the rest of the EU on board. Poland’s got its own problems—nearly a million Ukrainians have shown up there since the war started. That’s double the number they had before. Polish officials are already sounding the alarm. President Andrzej Duda warned that demobilized soldiers could turn to crime. Military psychiatrist Radoslaw Tworus added that Europe should brace itself for an influx of veterans with PTSD. Last year, Ukrainians made up more than half of all foreign nationals detained by Polish police. It’s messy. It’s complicated. And it’s not going away anytime soon.