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Practice what you preach How Europe is failing Russian asylum seekers who have risked their lives to flee repression
July 3, 2025 2:38 pm"…One of the most striking examples of this is a legal amendment that has effectively frozen the possibility of Russians obtaining Czech citizenship indefinitely, even those who have been living in the country for years. As a result, Russian citizens who are willing to renounce their citizenship (despite Czech legislation allowing foreigners to have dual citizenship) find themselves in a legal no man’s-land."
Czech Law on Aliens and Law on Citizenship – Changes brought about by Lex Ukraine and the current jurisprudence of Czech courts
May 21, 2025 9:11 amHow has the status of Ukrainian refugees in the Czech Republic changed thanks to the February amendment to the law known as “Lex Ukraine”? How has the Supreme Administrative Court dealt with the expulsion of Russian citizens, unlawful in one case and lawful in another?
Czechia Urged to Review Stricter Citizenship Rules for Russians
May 3, 2025 8:50 pm"17 senators proposed that the court cancel part of a law called Lex Ukraine VII. The proposal has been published on the court’s website. According to the senators, the legislation is unfair and doesn’t work well. According to them, the law will mostly hurt people who left Russia to escape repression or avoid joining the war."
Sanction Propagandists — Not Students!
April 18, 2025 3:28 pm"On the one hand, the law extends temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees, but on the other hand, it contains discriminatory provisions towards Russians, including those who oppose the regime. According to the new law, all current citizenship applications by Russians over the age of 15 will be frozen indefinitely and considered only after the end of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Therefore, following its visa ban for students, the Czech Republic approved the bill that forbids those living in the country for a while from obtaining citizenship just by means of their citizenship without any regard for their political position. Many Russians living abroad who actively supported Ukraine after the outbreak of the invasion, politically and financially, may face persecution if they return to Russia."
Czechia Moves to Ban Citizenship Applications for Russian Nationals
January 24, 2025 11:30 am"Under the bill, pending citizenship applications from Russian citizens would be frozen, with limited exceptions for minors and members of the opposition or civil society. The proposed law also mandates that Russian nationals renounce their Russian citizenship before applying for Czech citizenship. Even then, applications would only be considered after the end of the Russian war against Ukraine."
Czech lawmakers pass legislation effectively barring Russians from obtaining citizenship
January 24, 2025 11:23 am"The Czech Senate has passed a law that effectively bars Russian nationals from obtaining Czech citizenship, according to Radio Svoboda. The legislation, titled Lex Ukraine, primarily focuses on extending temporary protections for Ukrainian refugees, with provisions targeting citizenship for Russians included as amendments. Under the new law, Radio Svoboda reports, applications for Czech citizenship from Russian nationals will only be considered after the Russia-Ukraine war ends. The law also requires Russian citizens to renounce their Russian citizenship before becoming Czech citizens. All pending citizenship applications from Russians will be frozen."
[Translation] “We are people, not matryoshkas” The Czech Republic, a country with a large Russian-speaking diaspora, is going to ban Russians from obtaining citizenship. Before that, they promised to “keep a close eye on them”
December 30, 2024 2:49 pm"The Czech Republic is considering the Lex Ukrajina bill. It mainly concerns the extension of temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees, but the final draft includes two amendments that significantly limit the rights of Russians living in the Czech Republic. Now, to obtain Czech citizenship, they will have to renounce their Russian citizenship, which complicates the already very strict rules for issuing a local passport. But even if a Russian citizen is ready to do this, he will not be able to apply for Czech citizenship: the document suspends all current applications from Russians over 15 years old until the end of the law on temporary protection of Ukrainian citizens, which in the new version is indefinite. The document has already passed three readings in the lower house of parliament, the House of Representatives. It is expected that in January it will be adopted by the Senate and signed by the president – activists continue their resistance campaign and are collecting signatures for a petition to ban discrimination."
[Translation] Forget about Czech citizenship, MPs tell Russians
December 20, 2024 4:16 pm"The Chamber of Deputies approved an amendment to the Lex Ukraine law on Wednesday. Along with it, a controversial amendment was passed temporarily suspending the issuance of Czech citizenship to Russians. At first, the additional passage appears to say that the path to Czech citizenship will be open only to Russians who renounce their Russian citizenship. Then the reader comes to paragraph 7y. In it, he suddenly learns that, according to the proposal, all applications from Russians are to be suspended next year."
[Paywall] Czech proposal to freeze citizenship applications for Russians is discriminatory, critics say
December 4, 2024 2:18 pm"The Czech parliament is considering an amendment to the Ukraine VII law that would freeze citizenship applications from Russian nationals living in the country and force those who have already naturalised to renounce their Russian citizenship, drawing criticism from experts and the Czech Russian minority"
The Czech Republic’s ‘Lex Russi’: A proactive law or a liberal failure?
December 3, 2024 11:48 am"Controversial amendment to Czech law would affect all Russian nationals living in the country, including those who disagree with Putin's regime"
Czechia may require Russians to renounce citizenship for Czech passport
November 26, 2024 10:29 am"The new rule will not affect Russians who already hold Czech citizenship. However, and crucially, if the amendment is passed then all citizenship applications (Russians applying for Czech citizenship) will be suspended indefinitely. This could be for years or even decades. A civic organization that is against the initiative, Jsme lidé (We Are People), has said that the Czech government's idea is a breach of EU law."
‘We’re Not Matryoshkas’: Critics Round on Planned Restrictions to Russians’ Path to Czech Citizenship
November 21, 2024 9:31 am"A new law in the works would require Russian nationals to renounce their homeland to apply for Czech citizenship. The amendment is facing pushback for being discriminatory in principle, unnecessary in practice and disingenuous in spirit."
Czech Republic may refuse citizenship for Russians if they don’t refuse from their Russian passport
September 24, 2024 10:32 am"The Russian Diaspora, which permanently resides in the Czech Republic, has already called the amendment discriminatory, noting that the bill is not supported by any evidence that Russian citizens who have a residence permit in the Czech Republic pose a security threat."
Czech Citizenship Should Be Granted Only to Russians Who Give up Their Russian Passport, STAN Proposes
September 19, 2024 3:06 pm"A new proposal in Czechia could oblige Russians to give up their citizenship in order to acquire citizenship in Czechia. However, the proposal excludes asylum seekers and other exceptional cases. The proposal was also supported by Czechia’s Minister of the Interior, Vít Rakušan (STAN)."
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