The Czech Republic has stopped accepting work visa applications from Vietnamese nationals after being swamped by people applying to move there.
Jan Hamacek, the Czech Interior Minister and acting Foreign Minister, said Vietnamese nationals can no longer apply for visas for long-term residential purposes, as well as engage in business in the Czech Republic, VN Express reported.
Hamacek said the suspension was due to the overwhelming number of visa applications that the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Hanoi has received. He said the high numbers could develop into security risks. The embassy will only prioritize visa applications for the purpose of reuniting families.
“The measure has been taken as a result of the long-soaring number of applications submitted to the Czech diplomatic mission in Hanoi, whose capacity is overburdened, as well as due to the risks that the National Security Council discussed recently,” Hamacek said.
There are more than 65,000 Vietnamese people living in the Czech Republic, making it the third biggest minority group in the country, after Slovaks and Ukrainians.