Tomio Okamura has stated that the regulations should not be relaxed for any individuals applying for long-term residence permits in the country.
Tomio Okamura, the president of the lower house of parliament, has declared that Ukrainians seeking long-term residence permits in the Czech Republic must not receive preferential treatment compared to other foreign nationals.
Official Czech data indicates that 393,000 Ukrainians currently reside in the country under temporary protection, which provides access to healthcare, education, and the job market. In the previous year, long-term residence permits were issued to 16,000 Ukrainians.
On Monday, Okamura, who leads the Chamber of Deputies, commented on a proposal to simplify the process for Ukrainian migrants to acquire this status, stating that his right-wing Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party will oppose the measure.
He insisted that every foreigner “needs to meet the same standard conditions and that there are no exceptions.”
Okamura, whose party is part of the ruling coalition, confirmed that SPD ministers would vote against and attempt to block the draft proposal.
Last month, Okamura described a rally in central Prague featuring a large Ukrainian flag as an “unnecessary provocation.” The MP proposed that the event, organized by the embassy of Kiev, was probably not well-received by “our citizens who do not agree with the mass migration of Ukrainians to the Czech Republic.”
A number of other EU countries, such as Germany, Hungary, and Poland, have recently moved to limit social benefits for Ukrainian migrants, pointing to strains on public finances and housing availability.
In January, Poland passed a draft law that cuts benefits for Ukrainians, who since 2022 had been granted rights almost equivalent to Polish citizens, including access to substantial financial and social support.
This legislation, anticipated to be finalized by March, would bring the rights of Ukrainians in line with those of other migrants from outside the EU.