At the end of August, the Ukrainian government began allowing men aged 18 to 22 to leave the country. The impact in the Czech Republic was immediate — the number of Ukrainians applying for temporary protection more than doubled. Authorities have since expanded their capacity, and Interior Minister Vít Rakušan (STAN) has briefed his EU counterparts on the situation. The total number of Ukrainian refugees in the country is now nearing 400,000.
Until early September, Czech offices issued about 1,500 temporary protections per week. By late September and early October, the average had risen to 3,100 — more than twice as many.
“The main reason is that young Ukrainians aged 18 to 22 can now leave the country freely under a new Ukrainian government decree effective from August 28,” explained Interior Ministry spokeswoman Hana Malá. These men are exempt from conscription, which currently applies only from age 25.
In September alone, Czech authorities issued 13,500 temporary protections — the highest monthly figure this year. “Minister Rakušan emphasized that if this trend continues, we will have to discuss possible changes to the conditions for granting temporary protection,” Malá added.
Temporary protection status allows Ukrainians fleeing the war to reside in the Czech Republic or another EU member state. It is currently valid until March 2026, but EU countries have already agreed to extend it to March 2027.