In the Czech Republic, which, together with Slovenia, is the richest post-communist country in Europe, there are already over a million and a half foreigners, according to data from the National Statistical Office (CSU). “Economically active foreigners“ are the name given there to people without a Czech passport who are employed or have their own business.
“In 2015, for every hundred inhabitants of the country's 10 million population, there were about four working foreigners“, explains Vladimir Karmiet, head of department at the CSU. And in 2025, there will already be a share of nearly 12% foreigners in the country, he adds. If we take as a basis the official data of the Statistical Office, according to which at the end of 2025 there were 1.1 million foreigners registered in the Czech Republic, this is 10.4 percent of the total population.
Immigration as a consequence of the war
The significant increase in the number of immigrants in the Czech Republic is a consequence of the Russian aggression against Ukraine: after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, over half a million Ukrainians fled to the Czech Republic. Today, they number 613,000 people and are the largest group of foreigners in the country. 126,000 Ukrainian children attend Czech kindergartens and schools. Of the adults, over 80 percent are employed.
The second largest group of foreigners in the Czech Republic is from neighboring Slovakia - at the end of last year, 125,000 Slovaks were registered in the Czech Republic. But the actual number of workers from the neighboring country is probably about twice as high. “Citizens of EU member states are not required to immediately register their stay in the Czech Republic, but their employers must declare that they are employing them. Therefore, it seems that there are more foreigners working in the Czech Republic than there are residents. Most foreigners live and work in Prague - a total of 366,000, according to official figures. This means that more than 20 percent of the Czech capital's 1.4 million population are foreigners.
Lots of job vacancies
For businesses in the Czech Republic, this is not enough. With unemployment at 5 percent, the Czech Employment Agency reported a total of 100,000 job vacancies. That is why the government of Prime Minister Andrej Babis intends to keep a large part of Ukrainians in the Czech Republic even after the possible end of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine - despite pressure from the anti-immigration and anti-Ukrainian ultra-nationalist coalition party “Freedom and Direct Democracy“ (SPD).
“The Czech Republic needs workers from Ukraine in construction, industry, healthcare and the care sector“, Karel Havlicek, deputy prime minister and member of Babis's party (ANO), told DW. “Anyone who works here under normal conditions, pays taxes, has learned Czech and has integrated into normal life should be able to obtain a regular long-term residence permit“, Havlicek said.
The Czech Republic also relies on workers from the Philippines
But Ukrainians and Slovaks are not enough to meet the Czech Republic's labor needs. Not only the economy, but also healthcare and social care need more personnel. For this reason, in recent years, with the support of the Czech state, more than 15,000 Filipinos have already been brought to the country to work.
“The Philippines has a long tradition of working abroad, a well-functioning selection system and many people who speak English and have good professional education, for example in industry, logistics, healthcare and care“, Deputy Prime Minister Havlicek told DW.
The Czech Republic is also looking for workers in many other countries around the world. “In addition to the Philippines, we are focusing on India, Indonesia, Mongolia, the Republic of Moldova, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Serbia and North Macedonia, always in accordance with the specific needs of companies“, Havlicek continues. “The priority remains the employment of the local workforce and the retention of Ukrainians and Slovaks who are already here; controlled migration should fill real gaps, not lower wages.“
Migrant phobia
Despite the huge increase in the number of foreigners and the need for additional labor from abroad, the Czech Republic - with the exception of Ukrainians - remains reserved in terms of granting asylum and temporary protection. “The policy of the Czech Republic and many EU countries in the field of asylum is shameful. The politically and socially fueled artificial phobia towards migrants and refugees is unfortunately so strong that nothing prevents politicians and the state from also acting xenophobically“, commented Martin Rozumek, director of the non-governmental organization “Organization for Refugee Assistance“ (OPU), to DW.
“Nevertheless, the economy and the aging population will ultimately prevail“, he believes. In 2025, 77,600 children were born in the Czech Republic, and 113,300 residents died. Without immigration, demographic development would be negative – with corresponding consequences for the labor market. “Economic immigration in particular will continue on an even larger scale, which will continue to benefit the Czech state, society and businesses”, Rozumek is convinced.
Author: Lubos Palata