Nova v Praze (new in Praha:-)

Thursday, August 7

Changes Soon in the Czech Immigration Front Line?


Tales that foreigners like to share and pass along from time to time in Czech Republic is the classic rejection cases and degrees of horrors that they have gone through and been going through in Czech's domestic Immigration front line - the infamous Foreign Police (Cizinecka Policie). The worst of all is Prague's office.

I have never heard or experienced so far any more strikingly dreadful and inhuman experiences caused by any Caucasian authorities than Czech Foreign Police.

All foreigners who stay in Czech Republic due to marriage, work, or study have to register with the Foreign Police, a sub-unit force under the Ministry of Interior. Not to mention those who would like to invite friends and families to Czech Republic, tourists to register with, and residents who want to renew or change permits.

I cannot tell the foreigners' experience preceeding Czech's joining EU in 2004, as I first came in 2005. However, in the aftermath, Czech Foreign Police was divided into two large sections: EU nationals and dependents section and its non-EU conterpart.
Harsh and racist treatment is banal across all non-EU registering frontliners. it has been always tiresome and confusing to be Vietnamese, other Asian minorities as well as those from undeveloped nations. Not only does language barrier become the problem, but also the Czech staff's cold look and cross-cultural indifference that dismiss people too easily whenever they find that their application is incomplete ; without even bothering to provide info centre.

Long queue and despairing people on the line are normal view in the packed, run-down, non-air-conditioning waiting room of Foreign Police; especially for those who are on the non-EU nationals line. It is an endless snake lane. Work ethics or professionalism is something that you miss in this part of the World. The staff is constantly and purposedly unhelpful and difficult to reason with. I witnessed the absence of their efficient and informative system. The 4 working days with only a total of 30 working hours is not helpful either.

Fortunately, being married to a Czech requires me to visit them less frequent and less painful than my friends who are on the other office. Four visits in three years is not bad. I came there to apply for my Permanent Residency Permit when I got my Wedding Certificate. Then I came over to pick it up. The last two visits were due to the need to get a legalized invitation letter for my family in Indonesia and accompany them to register as foreigners in Czech land when they visited me. Soon if I renew my passport or change my address, or If I deliver baby and would like to register him in this land, I need to go there too to update the PR book.

The office moved finally in 2007 to decent, spacious, multistoried premises on Konevova 32 in Prague 3. The unfriendly staff and less-than-40-working hours remain. But they have the Info Centre and digital numbering on queuing system. Does it help? For those who are not married to Czech citizen or have permanent residency permit, the horror stories continue.

How does it happen? Firstly, there are more foreigners now in Czech Republic coming from different part of the world trying to get better life in a relatively-easily accessed and fresh EU country. About 134,000 foreigners visit Prague's office on regular basis. Almost 50,000 of them are Vietnamese. Imagine, compared to 10 million Czech citizens.

Secondly, many mediators and black agents (not litterarily black in color:-)!!) see the opportunity of making tons of cash from these incoming foreigners. One agent can tap at least 10 visits a day and secure a whole working day for his clients. The single fighter foreigners can only wish for a luck to get a number on the day or grab a sleeping bag and wait a night or hours before at the office's entrance along with other same minded ones. The most cultural shock of course is suffered by the non-EU nationals from developed countries who generally do not master the language and do not want to waste time and feel powerless.

Thirdly, having been fortified with listless attitude, indifferent and reserved mentality, understaffed and underpaid condition, the Foreign Police team can be categorized as THE team with low morale and -sorry to say, still shrouded by communist cloak.

Tonight (6 Aug 08) on CT 2, a state television, Mr. Husak, the Director of this Foreign Police was asked for his opinion on the TV report on the long lines of gruntled people in front of the Foreign Police building at night.

Some hint: Mr. Husak was the Head of Czech Police but then demoted to head the Foreign Police. Allegedly he was transferred from the strategic position due to his violating the speed limit while driving.

Back to the TV news. People were interviewed and responded to what they think of the whole affairs and policy towards Czech foreigners. In short, people of course voiced their dissastifcation and frustation as they didnot know to whom they can address all these confusion and waste of time. Mr. Husak said that they will add more people and more working space in two months; meaning more counters and less queuing up.
And, from 1 January 2009, the permanent residency permit (trvaly pobyt) thing that takes about 15% affairs, will be taken care of by the Department of Internal Affairs (Ministry of Interior). And then by 2013, all the foreigners registering things will be too.
BUT, Foreign Police is already under the Ministry of Interior! So, I do not really know what it means anyway. I do not see that being transferred to other Czech state bureaucracy will give more enlightment than before. My prejudice is that the officers will bear the same mentality and attitude and low-paid service.

Does the planned change mean a change after all?

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foto by gamingmmo.com