Threat to Ukrainian refugees: Hetmantsev reacted to calls of Czech populists
9 September 01:29
The Czech opposition party SPD wants to change the rules for Ukrainian refugees to stay in the country. Only those Ukrainians who work in jobs that are unattractive to the local population will be able to stay in the country. This is reported "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the publication Denikn.
The leader of the right-populist movement SPD (SPD) Tomio Okamura said that his party will insist on the revision of residence permits for all Ukrainian citizens who are in the country under temporary protection.
Okamura explained that since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Czech Republic has received hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians. This, in his opinion, worsened the availability of rental housing and increased waiting times for medical services.
The politician emphasizes that his position “is not hatred of Ukrainians” but a desire to “protect the interests of Czech citizens.”
“It is not hatred, but I am a Czech politician and I am on the side of Czech citizens,” Okamura said.
According to the SPD proposal, only those Ukrainians who work in jobs that are unattractive to the local population will be able to stay in the Czech Republic. In other words, we are talking about low-paid or physically demanding professions where there is a shortage of Czech staff.
This initiative has become one of the main conditions that the SPD is putting forward for possible entry into the government after the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 2025.
Ukrainians are increasingly integrating into the Czech economy
The leader of the tax committee of the Verkhovna Rada, Daniil Hetmantsev, has reacted to the statements of Czech politician Tomio Okamura. Daniil Hetmantsev noted that such political appeals on the eve of the elections have an internal political background and do not take into account the real contribution of Ukrainians to the Czech economy.
“The appearance of such appeals about the protection of national interests from local politicians, especially on the eve of elections, is understandable. However, it is also true that Ukrainians are becoming increasingly integrated into the Czech economy,” Hetmantsev emphasized.
According to the local Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, for the first quarter of 2025, the Czech state budget received thanks to Ukrainian refugees net (less the cost of humanitarian aid) income of 3.1 billion crowns.
As in neighboring Poland, Ukrainians have long produced a significant positive effect on the Czech economy, which the host countries are unlikely to give up.
“As in neighboring Poland, Ukrainians have long produced a significant positive effect on the Czech economy, which the host countries are unlikely to refuse. Therefore, such appeals are actually aimed primarily at the domestic audience, which adheres to right-wing populist views,” he added.
Hetmantsev also drew attention to the fact that a full-scale war continues in Ukraine, and the residents of even regions remote from the frontline cannot feel safe because of constant shelling. Against this background, the politician emphasized, there are proposals to limit the rights of Ukrainian refugees, which contradicts international norms.
“Against this background, there are political statements that propose to narrow the rights of Ukrainian refugees who are already in the Czech Republic, to revise guarantees for their residence, to discriminate when accepting employment. Such statements are at least dissonant with international conventions and documents on the protection of refugee rights, omitting the moral aspect of such calls,” Getmantsev said.
Ukraine, he said, is open to dialog with Czech partners and is ready to seek joint solutions even in complex issues.
“Expressing our sincere respect for the Czech Republic and its people, as well as thanks for its invaluable support, we believe that common values will allow us to refrain from steps that could worsen the stay of Ukrainian citizens in the Czech Republic. Ukraine has been and will be open to dialog with Czech partners and is ready to find a common solution even in such difficult issues,” the MP said.
What is known about the party “Freedom and Direct Democracy” (SPD)
Freedom and Direct Democracy (Czech: Svoboda a priama demokracie, SPD) is a Czech national conservative anti-immigrant political movement. It is led by the founder Tomio Okamura, a politician and entrepreneur of Czech-Japanese-Korean origin.
The movement’s program is dominated by nationalism, manifested mainly in opposition to illegal immigration and Islam, criticism of LGBT and demand for direct democracy (the possibility of ending the mandate of politicians and judges), as well as the introduction of a law on state referendum on important public issues. The movement’s right-wing or left-wing position is controversial and it is often categorized as extreme right-wing.
The movement is often characterized as populist, radical, nationalist, authoritarian, and even fascist by some journalists.
The party has allied itself with Svobodnye, Tricolora, and the Pravo Respekt Odbornosti (PRO) movement.
According to the latest opinion polls, the bloc’s support fluctuates at the level of 10-13% of voters.
It should be noted that in August this year the Prague prosecutor’s office charged the leader of the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party Tomio Okamuri and the party itself with incitement to hatred. The case stems from the party’s election posters that appeared last year.
If Okamura is proven guilty, he faces six months to three years in prison.
Prosecutors have proposed a suspended sentence and a monetary fine for Okamura, and only a fine for the party.
