EU member states have agreed on a new restriction: temporary protection will no longer be granted to newly arriving Ukrainian men of conscription age. In Czechia the rule takes effect on Wednesday, 5 August.
The measure covers men aged 23 to 60. According to the Czech Interior Ministry, those aged 23–25 are in the reserve, while men from 25 to 60 are of conscription age.
They will only be able to obtain temporary protection if they prove they have fulfilled their military obligations in Ukraine — through the Reserv+ application.
"Applicants will have to prove that they have fulfilled their military obligations via the Reserv+ application," said Adéla Dittmannová, spokeswoman for the Czech Interior Ministry.
The restriction applies only to new applications. Men of conscription age who obtained temporary protection before the rule came into force keep their status: it remains valid until March next year, after which it can be extended for another year.
"Tomorrow an important change will take effect in the system of granting temporary protection," Czech Interior Minister Lubomír Metnar (ANO) said on Tuesday.
According to him, the decision will "cut the number of new arrivals by tens of percent".
More than 393,000 Ukrainian refugees are currently in the country. Women aged 18–65 number over 160,280, men in the same age group around 132,000. Over the past year the number of men has grown by more than 21,200.
For details on extending the status, see our guide: Extending Temporary Protection in Czechia for Ukrainians.
Source: Novinky.cz