APPLICANTS FOR INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION
International protection
After arriving in the Czech Republic, anyone persecuted in their country of origin may apply for international protection, which can be granted either in the form of asylum or subsidiary protection. Before granting international protection, the Ministry of the Interior investigates whether the applicant has been persecuted in their country of origin for any of the following reasons:
- Exercising their political rights and freedoms
- Race
- Sex/gender
- Religion
- Nationality
- Membership in a particular social group
- Advocating a political opinion in the state of their citizenship, or, in the case of a stateless person, in the country of their former permanent residence
Asylum
The Czech Republic will grant asylum to a person who proves that they have been persecuted in their home country for any of the following reasons: exercising political rights and freedoms, race, sex/gender, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or advocating a political opinion in the state of their citizenship, or, in the case of a stateless person, in the country of their former permanent residence.
Another reason for granting international protection is to reunite with a family member (such as a spouse, registered partner, minor child, or parent – if the applicant is a minor child) who has been granted asylum.
Last but not least there are “humanitarian reasons”. There is no legal entitlement to humanitarian asylum; it is purely at the discretion of the Ministry of the Interior to decide to whom and for what reasons humanitarian asylum will be granted.
Subsidiary protection
If the Ministry does not find sufficient grounds to grant asylum, but the applicant proves that returning to their home country would put them at risk of the death penalty or execution, torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, or that their life or human dignity would be endangered due to an international or internal armed conflict, they may be granted subsidiary protection.
Subsidiary protection may also be granted to reunite with a family member (such as a spouse, registered partner, minor child, or parent – if the applicant is a minor child) who has been granted subsidiary protection.
Unlike asylum, subsidiary protection is granted for a fixed period, after which the reasons for granting it are reviewed. If they still apply, the protection will be renewed.
An extension must be applied for at least 30 days before the subsidiary protection expires.
