You have the right to raise concerns when an official, interpreter, accommodation centre, employer, healthcare provider, school, landlord, police officer, or service provider treats you unfairly or fails to protect your rights.

A complaint can help:

• Correct inaccurate information.
• Stop harmful conduct.
• Request safer accommodation.
• Replace an interpreter.
• Obtain an explanation.
• Create an official record.
• Request an investigation.
• Prevent similar treatment of other people.

However, a complaint should be made carefully when it could expose your sexual orientation, gender identity, asylum status, health information, or location.

This article explains how to prepare and submit a complaint while protecting your safety.

A Complaint Is Not the Same as an Appeal

Different legal actions have different purposes.

Informal Request

An informal request may be used to solve a problem quickly.

Examples include:

• Asking for a new interpreter.
• Requesting a room change.
• Asking staff to use your chosen name.
• Requesting correction of a minor administrative error.
• Asking to speak with a supervisor.

Formal Complaint

A formal complaint creates a written record and asks an organisation or authority to examine conduct or service quality.

Examples include complaints about:

• Interpreter behaviour.
• Accommodation-centre staff.
• A healthcare provider.
• An employer.
• A school.
• A police officer.
• Discriminatory treatment.
• A privacy breach.

Criminal Complaint

A criminal complaint reports conduct that may be a crime, such as violence, serious threats, stalking, blackmail, theft, or sexual assault.

Every Czech Police unit and public prosecutor must accept a criminal complaint.

Appeal or Court Action

An appeal or court action challenges an official decision, such as a negative asylum decision.

A normal complaint usually does not replace an appeal and usually does not stop an appeal deadline.

For example, complaining about the behaviour of an asylum officer does not automatically challenge a negative asylum decision. Contact a lawyer immediately when you have received a decision or face a legal deadline.

Decide What You Want the Complaint to Achieve

Before writing, identify the outcome you are requesting.

You might ask for:

• A different interpreter.
• A room change or transfer.
• Correction of an interview record.
• Removal of inaccurate information.
• A private meeting.
• An explanation of a decision or action.
• An investigation.
• Protection from a particular person.
• Staff training or disciplinary review.
• Restoration of access to a service.
• Written confirmation of your rights.
• An apology.
• Referral to a higher authority.
• Prevention of retaliation.

Be realistic and specific.

Instead of writing only:

“The staff treated me badly.”

Write:

“I am requesting an investigation, a written response, and assignment to another staff member because I no longer feel safe discussing confidential information with this person.”

Consider Your Safety Before Complaining

Ask yourself:

• Will the complaint reveal that I am LGBTIQ+?
• Will it reveal my room, address, phone number, or location?
• Could another resident, relative, employer, or community member see it?
• Could the person complained about retaliate?
• Does the complaint identify a partner or witness who may be at risk?
• Is my phone or email account secure?
• Do I need to move to a safer place first?
• Should a lawyer or NGO submit the complaint for me?

When there is a serious risk, speak with a trusted organisation before submitting the complaint.

You may be able to describe the problem without including unnecessary intimate details.

For example:

“The interpreter has a personal connection to my community and I cannot safely discuss confidential aspects of my protection claim through this person.”

You do not need to describe your entire asylum story in a complaint about interpreter safety.

Try an Informal Solution When It Is Safe

Some problems may be solved by:

• Speaking to the staff member.
• Asking for the manager on duty.
• Requesting a private meeting.
• Asking for a different worker or interpreter.
• Making a written request for correction.
• Asking a social worker or NGO to intervene.

An informal approach is not required when:

• The incident involves violence or a serious threat.
• The person responsible has power over you and you fear retaliation.
• Previous requests were ignored.
• Confidential information was disclosed.
• The conduct was serious or repeated.
• An official deadline is approaching.
• Evidence may disappear.
• You do not feel safe confronting the person.

Put Important Complaints in Writing

A written complaint creates evidence of:

• What you reported.
• When you reported it.
• Who received it.
• What action you requested.

You can submit it by:

• Email.
• Online form.
• Post.
• Data box, when available.
• Personal delivery.
• A lawyer or authorised representative.

Keep a copy of everything submitted.

When delivering a complaint in person, ask for a stamped copy or another written confirmation of receipt.

When submitting by email, keep the sent email, attachments, and any automatic confirmation.

What to Include in a Complaint

A useful complaint should contain:

Your Details

Include:

• Your name.
• Contact information.
• Case or reference number, if relevant.
• Your preferred safe method of communication.
• Your chosen name and pronouns, when relevant.
• Whether your legal name must be used only for identification.

When disclosing your address creates a risk, ask a lawyer whether another correspondence address can be used.

Details of the Incident

State:

• What happened.
• Date and approximate time.
• Location.
• Names or descriptions of people involved.
• Staff position, service number, or department.
• Witnesses.
• Words used.
• Any physical harm, financial loss, or safety consequence.
• Whether similar incidents happened before.

Why the Conduct Was Wrong

Explain briefly:

• Which right or procedure may have been affected.
• Why the treatment was discriminatory or unsafe.
• How the incident affected you.
• Whether your privacy was breached.
• Whether the incident affected your asylum claim or access to services.

You do not need to identify the exact legal provision when you are unsure.

What You Already Did

Explain:

• Whether you reported the issue informally.
• Who you contacted.
• What response you received.
• Whether the conduct continued.
• Whether you contacted an NGO or lawyer.

The Action You Request

Clearly state what you want the recipient to do.

For example:

“I request that the interview record be corrected and that the attached statement be added to my file.”

“I request a transfer to safer accommodation while this complaint is examined.”

“I request that this interpreter no longer be assigned to my case.”

“I request written confirmation that my confidential information has not been shared further.”

“I request an investigation and a written explanation of the outcome.”

Supporting Evidence

Attach copies rather than original documents whenever possible.

Evidence may include:

• Screenshots.
• Photographs.
• Medical documents.
• Emails.
• Interview records.
• Decisions.
• Employment documents.
• Witness details.
• Previous complaints.
• Notes made immediately after the incident.

Create a simple list of attachments.

Simple Complaint Template

Subject: Formal complaint concerning [brief description]

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am submitting a formal complaint concerning an incident that occurred on [date] at [location].

The people involved were [names, positions, or descriptions].

The following happened:

[Describe the incident clearly and chronologically.]

I believe this conduct was inappropriate, unsafe, discriminatory, or contrary to my rights because:

[Explain the problem and its effect on you.]

I previously raised this issue with [name or department] on [date]. The response was:

[Describe the response, or state that no response was received.]

I am requesting:

1. [Requested action.]
2. [Requested protection or correction.]
3. [Written confirmation or explanation.]

Please communicate with me through [safe email, telephone number, lawyer, or other method].

Please treat information concerning my sexual orientation, gender identity, health, and asylum case as confidential.

Attached evidence:

• [Attachment 1]
• [Attachment 2]
• [Attachment 3]

Please confirm receipt of this complaint and provide information about the next steps.

Kind regards,

[Name]
[Reference number, when relevant]
[Safe contact information]

Complaining About an Interpreter or Asylum Interview

You may complain when an interpreter or official:

• Changed or shortened your answers.
• Used an incorrect language or dialect.
• Misgendered or mocked you.
• Expressed personal, political, or religious opinions.
• Asked humiliating or irrelevant questions.
• Disclosed confidential information.
• Pressured you to sign an inaccurate record.
• Refused to note your objection.

Record:

• The interview date.
• Language requested.
• Language provided.
• The exact interpretation problem.
• What you asked the official to do.
• Whether the request was refused.
• Errors in the interview record.

Send the complaint to your lawyer immediately when the problem may affect your asylum decision.

Ask for:

• The complaint to be added to your file.
• Correction of the interview record.
• A different interpreter.
• Additional opportunity to clarify your testimony.
• Written confirmation of the action taken.

Do not wait for the complaint process when you have received a negative decision. A court deadline may continue to run.

Complaining About an Accommodation Centre

You may complain about:

• Threats or harassment.
• Unsafe room placement.
• Racism, homophobia, or transphobia.
• Failure to respond to violence.
• Lack of privacy.
• Disclosure of confidential information.
• Denial of essential supplies.
• Inappropriate behaviour by staff.
• Refusal to consider a transfer request.

First contact the responsible social worker, manager, or centre administration when it is safe.

Explain the specific risk. For example:

“The residents in my room have threatened me because of my perceived sexual orientation. I am requesting an immediate room change while the matter is investigated.”

Ask for temporary safety measures before the entire complaint is decided.

Contact your lawyer, an NGO, the Ministry of the Interior, or the Public Defender of Rights when the centre does not respond appropriately.

The Ombudsman’s responsibilities include examining certain complaints involving public administration and monitoring facilities where people are restricted in their freedom.

Complaining About Discrimination

The Public Defender of Rights can provide guidance and assess complaints involving discrimination in areas such as employment, education, healthcare, municipal housing, and publicly offered goods and services.

A complaint to the Ombudsman can currently be submitted:

• Online.
• By email.
• By post.
• In person in Brno.

Include:

• A clear description of the different treatment.
• The personal characteristic you believe was involved.
• The area in which it happened.
• Evidence.
• Information about how comparable people were treated.
• Copies of relevant decisions or correspondence.
• The steps you have already taken.

The Ombudsman does not replace a court and does not automatically award compensation.

Complaining About an Employer

You may first raise the matter with:

• A supervisor.
• Human resources.
• A trade union.
• The employer’s complaints or ethics procedure.

For suspected labour-law violations, you may submit a complaint to the relevant Regional Labour Inspectorate or the State Labour Inspection Office.

The Labour Inspectorate recommends identifying the employer and workplace clearly and attaching relevant documents such as contracts, payslips, or wage records. The Inspectorate must protect the complainant’s identity during its inspection work, but it cannot decide all private claims between an employee and employer; some claims can only be resolved by a court.

Seek legal advice quickly when the complaint involves:

• Dismissal.
• Unpaid wages.
• Pressure to sign a document.
• Workplace violence.
• Retaliation.
• A legal deadline.

Complaining About Police Conduct

A complaint about inappropriate or unlawful conduct by a police officer should normally be directed to the unit to which the officer belongs.

Include:

• Date and time.
• Location.
• Officer’s name or service number, if known.
• Police vehicle registration.
• Witnesses.
• What the officer said or did.
• What action you requested.
• Evidence.

When you believe the complaint was not handled properly, you may ask the supervising police unit to examine it.

A complaint about police behaviour is different from a criminal complaint reporting an offence against you.

Complaining About Healthcare, Education, Housing, or Services

Begin with the person or institution responsible when it is safe:

• Hospital or clinic management.
• School management.
• Landlord or housing agency.
• Municipal housing authority.
• Business or service-provider management.

Ask for:

• The complaint procedure.
• The name of the person responsible.
• Confirmation of receipt.
• A written outcome.
• Information about any further review.

You may also contact:

• The relevant supervisory or inspection body.
• The Public Defender of Rights when discrimination may be involved.
• A lawyer.
• An NGO specialising in the issue.

Protect Confidential Information

Mark sensitive documents clearly.

You can write:

“Confidential: This document contains information concerning my asylum application, sexual orientation, gender identity, and health. Please restrict access to staff who need this information to process the complaint.”

Before attaching evidence:

• Remove information unrelated to the complaint.
• Protect the names of partners or witnesses who may be endangered.
• Avoid sending intimate photographs.
• Check that the email address is correct.
• Use password-protected files when appropriate.
• Send the password separately.
• Keep an unedited original copy.

Ask who will receive the complaint and whether it will be shown to the person complained about.

Keep a Complaint Log

Record:

Date submitted:
Recipient:
Method of submission:
Reference number:
Confirmation received:
Response deadline given:
Person handling the case:
Documents attached:
Follow-up date:
Outcome:
Further action required:

Store the complaint log with your legal documents.

Follow Up

When you receive no response:

1. Check whether the complaint was delivered.
2. Send a polite written reminder.
3. Attach the original complaint.
4. Request confirmation and a response date.
5. Contact the supervising body.
6. Ask a lawyer or NGO to intervene.

Do not repeatedly send sensitive information to multiple recipients without checking who is responsible.

What if You Experience Retaliation?

Retaliation may include:

• Threats.
• Harassment.
• Worse accommodation.
• Reduced work shifts.
• Dismissal.
• Pressure to withdraw the complaint.
• Disclosure of private information.
• Refusal of services.
• Punishment by staff or residents.

Record the retaliation as a new incident.

Inform:

• Your lawyer.
• The body handling the complaint.
• A trusted NGO.
• Police when threats or violence are involved.
• The relevant supervisory authority.

Request immediate protective measures.

When a Complaint Is Not Enough

Seek urgent legal assistance when:

• You received a negative asylum decision.
• An appeal deadline is running.
• You are detained.
• You face removal from the Czech Republic.
• You were physically or sexually attacked.
• You received a serious threat.
• You are being blackmailed.
• You have been dismissed.
• You face immediate eviction.
• Evidence is being destroyed.
• Your confidential information has reached someone who may harm you.

A complaint may be useful, but it may not stop removal, detention, dismissal, eviction, or another legal consequence.

Key Takeaways

• Decide whether you need an informal request, formal complaint, criminal complaint, or legal appeal.
• A complaint normally does not replace an appeal.
• Protect your safety before disclosing sensitive information.
• Describe the incident clearly and chronologically.
• State the action you want.
• Attach copies of relevant evidence.
• Ask for confirmation of receipt.
• Keep a complaint log.
• Record and report retaliation.
• Contact a lawyer immediately when a deadline or serious safety risk is involved.

This article provides general information and does not replace individual legal advice. The correct complaint mechanism depends on the organisation involved, the type of conduct, and the remedy you are seeking.

Last legally reviewed: July 2026