In 2009, the Czech Republic again recorded a decreasing trend in the numbers of seekers of international protection.

 

A dominant trait of asylum proceedings was the high number of repeated applications for international protection. In half of the cases the applications were not submitted by new applicants but by people that have lived in the Czech Republic for a longer period and whose application was previously rejected by the relevant authorities due to a lack of applicable reasons for granting international protection. These concern particularly purposely submitted applications, the aim of which is to obtain legal residence in the country. This is attested by the fact that legalising residence is one of the most commonly cited reasons for applying for international protection.

In half of the cases, foreigners file a lawsuit to the regional courts against the decision of the Ministry of the Interior not to grant them international protection. In the majority of cases, these lawsuits are dismissed, thus confirming the decision of an administrative authority in the 1^st instance. Only 16 % of matters are returned for a new hearing.