Ukrainian men of conscription age arriving in European Union countries will be required to confirm fulfillment of military service obligations in order to receive temporary protection. This was reported by the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic, as conveyed by UNN.
Details
As noted by the ministry, on August 4, the Official Journal of the EU published an implementing decision of the Council of the European Union that changes the conditions for granting temporary protection to Ukrainian citizens. The document will take effect on August 5.
According to the decision, for applications submitted after its entry into force, temporary protection will not be granted to individuals who cannot confirm fulfillment of military service obligations in Ukraine.
To confirm their status, Ukrainian men will be required to provide information through the "Reserve+ app.
The new requirement will apply to applications for initial and repeated granting of temporary protection, as well as cases of obtaining such status for the purpose of family reunification.
At the same time, the changes will not apply to Ukrainian citizens who already have valid temporary protection and will continuously maintain this status in the Czech Republic. During the extension of previously granted protection, confirmation of military service fulfillment will also not be required.
Czech Minister of Interior Lubomír Metnar stated that Prague has long advocated for stricter rules on granting temporary protection.
"Our government has long insisted on tightening the conditions for granting temporary protection and welcomes that we have managed to reach an agreement among member states. This decision will allow reducing the number of new arrivals by tens of percent," Metnar noted.
According to him, reducing the number of new applicants should lessen the burden on the Czech healthcare and social security systems.
Separately, the EU Council decision provides for the extension of temporary protection for Ukrainian citizens until the end of March 2028.
In the Czech Republic, the procedure for extending status will follow the scheme of previous years: first, Ukrainians will need to complete online registration, and then personally visit a Ministry of Interior office to obtain a new visa sticker. After fulfilling these conditions, temporary protection will be extended until March 31, 2028.
Reminder
The EU agreed to grant temporary protection to Ukrainians for another year, but with a clarification regarding those liable for military service.