The Czech government is working on an amendment to the asylum and migration regulations, which proposes tightening the existing provisions. The draft, which has already received support from all governing parties, could be discussed in the Chamber of Deputies in April.
The Czech government is in favour of changing the country’s asylum and migration regulations. The new draft, prepared by the Ministry of the Interior and signed by MPs from all governing parties, could be presented for discussion in the Chamber of Deputies in April. However, opposition parties ANO and SPD have already announced their intention to block the accelerated adoption of the proposal in order to submit their own amendments.
The amendment is a response to the EU migration pact, which is opposed by ANO and SPD. Interior Minister Rakušan stated that the proposal is a tightening measure that would incorporate the most important parts of the pact into Czech law. “We must not wait and let other countries overtake us,” he explained. No representatives from ANO were present at the meeting with the opposition. Rakušan emphasised the urgency of the issue once again and expressed a willingness to listen to the opposition’s proposals.
According to a report by the news channel ČT24, the draft stipulates that a foreigner can no longer apply for asylum after being expelled. If another EU country orders the expulsion, no new decision will be made in the Czech Republic. The procedure for refusing international protection will be simplified, and courts will review whether expulsion should also be imposed in the event of a conviction.
Migrants will be subjected to a new screening process. Authorities will be allowed to use information from mobile phones for identification purposes. Asylum seekers may be assigned a place of residence or required to stay in asylum centres.
Social standards for asylum seekers could be restricted, and their access to the labour market limited. Decisions will be made more quickly, with appeals to be decided within five weeks, or a maximum of one year, depending on the case.
The Czech government aims to prevent its asylum regulations from being more favourable than those of other countries. It is expected that Germany will also adopt similar measures. The Czech government plans for the new regulations to come into force at the beginning of next year.
