Only hours before the interior ministry decided to close the Ruzyně immigration office for a day, Prague firefighters were called to the same Žukovského Street address when thick black smoke poured from a grocery store on Sunday afternoon. The fire, traced to a faulty freezer unit in the back room, triggered a level-two alarm and brought multiple fire-brigade units and police to the scene. Around 50 shoppers and staff—many of them foreign nationals waiting for Monday appointments—were evacuated; no injuries were reported. Although the blaze was extinguished within 30 minutes, footage circulated by local media showed smoke seeping into the lobby shared with the Department for Asylum and Migration Policy. With key immigration files and biometric equipment located on the upper floors, officials opted for a cautious approach, ordering a structural inspection and an air-quality assessment before business can resume. The incident has renewed debate about the suitability of housing critical migration services in mixed-use commercial buildings. Advocacy groups such as the Association of Foreign Employers argue that dispersed, single-purpose facilities would be less vulnerable to accidents and would help alleviate chronic congestion. For now, however, most of OAMP’s eight Prague offices remain embedded in shopping centres or office complexes. Practical impact for travellers and assignees is limited to short-term delays, but relocation advisers recommend that anyone with urgent travel should carry copies of appointment-cancellation emails when crossing Schengen internal borders to avoid questions about expired residence stickers. The ministry’s online booking system continues to function, although replacement slots are currently showing a 10–14-day wait. Fire-investigation findings are expected later this week; should building repairs prove extensive, authorities may extend the closure or redistribute casework to regional offices in Central Bohemia. Companies with large foreign workforces should monitor the situation and prepare contingency plans for residence-card collection and visa extensions.
Source: Vinegret.cz
