Czech intelligence services are warning of a scenario in which Ukrainian men may come to the Czech Republic after the war to reunite with their families. Veterans suffering from psychological issues could pose a security risk to the local population.
According to the Czech Ministry of the Interior, there are currently over 399,000 refugees from Ukraine in the Czech Republic, including more than 170,000 women aged between 18 and 65. While not all of them have husbands in Ukraine, Czech intelligence services are reportedly preparing for the possibility that Ukrainian men may wish to join their wives in the Czech Republic once the war ends, according to the news portal Novinky.cz.
“I can confirm in general terms that our security agencies, particularly the intelligence services, are preparing for various scenarios. They are drawing on experiences from previous conflicts, such as after the war in Yugoslavia,” said Pavel Žáček (ODS), chairman of the parliamentary security committee, in an interview with Novinky.
“It is absolutely right to highlight the security aspects. This issue must be taken very seriously, and I am glad that it is being addressed,” Žáček added. However, he also emphasised that the reunification of Ukrainian families in the Czech Republic is not currently under discussion. Even in the event of a temporary ceasefire, it is unlikely that Ukrainian soldiers would be discharged from the army to travel to their families.
Interior Minister Vít Rakušan (STAN) stated in February in an interview with Novinky.cz that, regardless of how the war ends, no one would be able to enter the Czech Republic under the temporary protection status once the war is over. Any potential family reunification would have to take place in accordance with the Czech Republic’s existing immigration regulations.
A foreign national applying for a long-term residence permit for family reunification must, among other requirements, provide proof of financial stability and, if necessary, submit a criminal record certificate. Refugees already living in the Czech Republic could, under the interior minister’s plans, remain in the country but would have to gradually transition from temporary protection status to a standard residence permit applicable to all other foreign nationals.
According to Tomáš Kopečný, the Czech government’s envoy for Ukraine’s reconstruction, Ukraine will seek to encourage refugees abroad to return home rather than risk losing more citizens after the war. Estimates suggest that around eight million people have left Ukraine since the conflict began.
