It Became the First EU Country: The Czech Republic No Longer Grants Protection to Ukrainians of Draft Age
5 August 20:14
The Czech Republic will stop granting temporary protection to Ukrainian men of draft age (23 to 60 years old) starting Wednesday, August 5. This was announced by Czech Interior Minister Lubomír Metnar, according to "Komersant Ukrainian", citing DW.
According to him, Ukrainian men will be able to obtain the status allowing them to stay in the Czech Republic only if they confirm (via the “Reserve” app) that they have already fulfilled their military obligations.
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The requirement applies to both initial and renewal applications for temporary protection, as well as to applications for family reunification. At the same time, the Czech Minister of the Interior noted that the new rule will not affect those Ukrainians who already have temporary protection status in the Czech Republic and have maintained it continuously since it took effect.
Lubomír Metnar specifically emphasized that this decision “will reduce the number of new arrivals (Ukrainian men— Ed.) by tens of percent” and will subsequently “relieve pressure on the Czech healthcare and social security systems.”
Czech Republic: “The country’s capacity has been exhausted”
The Czech Republic ranks first in the EU in terms of the number of Ukrainian refugees per capita. In this regard, the country’s authorities have repeatedly stated that “the country’s capacity has been exhausted,” and that a new influx of refugees could lead to a crisis.
According to the publication, there are currently more than 393,000 Ukrainian refugees living in the Czech Republic, among whom women predominated until 2025. However, last year there were more men among the newly arrived applicants for temporary protection. Specifically, over the past twelve months, approximately 21,200 Ukrainian men aged 18 to 65 arrived in the Czech Republic.
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