Foreigners in Czechia could face mandatory deportation for major crimes

Foreigners residing in Czechia could face mandatory deportation if convicted of specified crimes carrying a prison sentence of three years or more, under a new proposal agreed upon by the Czech government.

Justice Minister Jeronym Tejc (for ANO) is preparing the proposal, Chamber of Deputies Speaker and junior ruling Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) chair Tomio Okamura told media after a meeting of the Coalition Council on Monday.

The proposal would explicitly list the criminal offenses subject to the three-year threshold. Currently, courts can decide whether to impose deportation in individual cases.

“We would like them to be required to deport foreigners who commit crimes here,” Okamura said.

Okamura said he had initially favored an even stricter approach under which foreigners would be automatically deported after committing a serious criminal offense, rather than only offenses meeting a three-year sentencing threshold.

The proposal would add to Czechia's recently tightened rules for foreign residents. Under a separate “three strikes” provision approved in 2025, authorities can revoke or refuse to extend a foreigner's residence permit after three finalized administrative offenses within a single year, including certain offenses involving public order and property.

The specific offenses have not yet been announced, but the three-year threshold could encompass a range of crimes under the current Czech Criminal Code.

Rape, for example, carries a basic sentence of two to 10 years, while aggravated forms carry sentences starting at three years; robbery carries two to 10 years in its basic form, with aggravated forms starting at five years; and certain forms of theft carry sentences of up to five or eight years.

More serious forms of unlawful deprivation of liberty can carry three to 10 years. The three-year threshold therefore does not translate neatly into a list of crimes, and the final scope will depend on which offenses the government specifically names.

Foreign nationals accounted for 12.1 percent of recorded offenses and 12 percent of people prosecuted in Czechia in 2024, according to the Institute of Criminology and Social Prevention.

Foreigners with permanent or long-term residence made up about 10 percent of the country's population at the end of that year. The institute cautions that the figures are not directly comparable because the population figure does not include tourists or other short-term visitors. 

SPD has long advocated tougher immigration enforcement. Okamura has previously called for an even broader approach to deporting foreigners who commit crimes.

Czechia already has specialized police responsible for immigration enforcement, including checking foreigners' residence status and carrying out measures connected with illegal residence and deportation.

The system does not, however, have a single agency directly equivalent to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), whose responsibilities combine immigration enforcement and criminal investigations

The coalition also agreed on the need for tougher penalties for rape. Tejc is preparing a procedural guideline for public prosecutors instructing them not to seek suspended sentences in rape cases, while prosecutors would also be encouraged to appeal more frequently when courts impose lighter sentences.

The Coalition Council also discussed transportation infrastructure, support for farmers affected by drought and English-language teaching. After talks with Education Minister Robert Plaga (for ANO), the coalition agreed on a compromise aimed at ensuring students reach a sufficient level of English by the end of elementary school.

Okamura also reiterated his opposition to Health Minister Adam Vojtěch's (for ANO) proposal for a nighttime ban on alcohol sales in certain stores.