Czech Republic Deals With Migrants Using Creative "Section 16" Law
One of the greatest strains on European nations since the start of the migrant crisis has been on national and local governments who have been swamped with those who want benefits and assistance from the state.
In Sweden, one of the hardest-hit countries in the Eurozone, authorities predict that welfare payments are likely to overwhelm tax revenues for the foreseeable future.
“From 2018, we expect the need for welfare to increase significantly faster than tax revenues,” Annika Wallenskog, chief economist at Sweden’s Local Authorities and County Council, said in October of 2017.
So, how to cover this sort of thing? Well, part of the solution is thinking ahead — which is why residents of the Czech Republic ought to be thankful for Act 500/2004 of the Code of Administrative Procedure.
What’s that, you may ask? Well, it’s a law that deals with how individuals in the Czech Republic deal with each other or the state itself.
It’s a fairly wide-ranging document that was passed into law in 2004. However, there is language in there that makes it more difficult for migrants solely there for economic reasons to get government aid.
As in any country, aid requires an individual to interact with the government and fill out the requisite forms. Unlike other countries, though, the Czech Republic doesn’t bend over backwards to make things easier for individuals to arrive in the country and collect benefits right off the bat.
Section 16, part 1 of Section 500/2004 states that “Communication within the procedure shall be carried out and documents executed in the Czech language. Parties to the procedure may also communicate and file submissions in the Slovak language.”
In part 2, it notes that, “Documents executed in a foreign language shall be submitted by the party to the procedure in the original version and, concurrently, in an officially attested translation to the Czech language, unless the administrative authority informs the party to the procedure that such translation is not required. Such declaration may be made by the administrative authority also on its official notice board for an indefinite number of future procedures.”
So, how does one get a translator?
“Every person who declares that he/she does not speak the language of the procedure shall have the right to have an interpreter entered on the list of interpreters; he/she shall use the interpreter’s services at his/her own expense,” part 3 reads.
“In procedures regarding an application, the applicant who is not a citizen of the Czech Republic, shall arrange for the services of an interpreter at his/her own expense, unless the law specifies otherwise.”
In other words, if an individual wants to file for benefits, they would have to get an interpreter’s services at their own expense.
In the case of legitimate refugees, there are likely refugee organizations that can handle this, as well as resettlement and the like. When it comes to the uncontrolled migration that swept across Europe, it would place a burden on the individual to get their own translator and pay for it if they wanted benefits.
It’s also worth noting that there are other barriers to getting government cash in the Czech Republic; only permanent residents, for instance, can get unemployment benefits.
While Act 500/2004 is one of the measures against the migrant crisis hitting the Czech Republic hard, there are other measures that the country has been taken to ensure they’re not hit with an influx of people crossing into the country. In fact, the European Union took action against them last summer for only taking in 12 of their quota of over 2,600 refugees.
However, if they do come into the Czech Republic, it’s likely going to be a lot harder for them to be a major drain on the system.
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