Tougher language exams for permanent residence applicants in the Czech Republic
Since 2018, the level of the Czech language exam for those who, having lived in the Czech Republic on various visas for 5 years, have expressed a desire to obtain permanent residence, should rise from level 'A1' to 'A2' – from the 'survival level' to the so-called 'threshold level'. As Radio Prague notes, level 'A1' is the lowest level of language proficiency – for beginners. However, even with this level, 25% of applicants for permanent residence in the Czech Republic fail every year.
At the same time, the Ministry of Education intends to strengthen control over the conduct of exams, as well as reduce the number of educational institutions that have the necessary license for this.
"For a long time, we have had low requirements during the Czech language exam for foreigners. A level 'A1' can be handled, for example, by a foreign student who came to us on an exchange for one semester. It's very simple," comments Deputy Chief School Inspector Ondřej Andrys.
The Council of Europe calls on European Union states to approach the issue of integrating migrants into society cautiously and not to deliberately complicate this process. The Deputy Chief School Inspector believes that introducing more serious requirements, on the contrary, accelerates integration: "On the contrary, an excessively low level of exam can become an obstacle to integration into society. The very reason for introducing language tests is precisely the desire to facilitate the integration process. However, if someone can only handle the language at an elementary level, and 'A1' is exactly that, then the question arises: is integration of such a person possible?"
The director of the Organization for Aid to Refugees, Martin Rozumek, also agrees with the introduction of more serious requirements for language exams. In his opinion, the 'A2' level is adequate: "I think that the degree of a person's integration into the society of a particular country is directly related to the level of language proficiency. It makes me sad when I see that a large number of people do not have sufficient command of the language. In this case, they can easily become victims of discrimination and blackmail. They will not be able to defend themselves because they do not understand what is being said. Proficiency in the Czech language is key in the process of integration into our society.
The vast majority of people applying for permanent residence are interested in good language proficiency. Most of those migrating to us are citizens from countries of the former Soviet Union, who pass the exams without much difficulty. It is harder for citizens of Vietnam. In their case, it happens that working all day, they put language aside."