Forty-one percent of Czechs view immigrants coming to the Czech Republic as a benefit, while 21% view them as a burden, according to a survey conducted by CVVM. Up to 31% do not have a clear opinion.
“The way Czech citizens assess the contribution of immigrants to the Czech Republic is significantly related to the regularity of their personal contact with people from other ethnic groups,” the statisticians noted. People who interact with those from different ethnic groups are more likely to view immigrants as a benefit to the country.
Nearly half of those surveyed interact with people from other ethnic groups at least once a week. Conversely, only 5% of respondents reported that they never meet people from other ethnic groups.
Men, younger generations, and those with higher education have a more positive attitude toward migrants.
“In terms of regions, negative views are more common among residents of the Liberec and Plzen regions. Conversely, residents of Prague, Karlovy Vary, Hradec Kralove, and Olomouc perceive the greatest benefit from immigrants,” CVVM reported.
According to the statisticians, Czech society does not treat immigrants with open hostility, but rather wariness. Nearly 90% of Czechs believe that immigrants in the country are treated well, yet roughly two-thirds of people believe that immigration increases crime.
38% agree that immigrants take jobs away from Czechs. More than half of Czechs disagree that the presence of migrants contributes to the country’s development.
Nearly 60% expect immigration to the Czech Republic to increase in the coming years.
Czechs most often believe that economic reasons motivate immigrants to come to the Czech Republic (38%), followed by security, political reasons, and the desire to reunite families, while just 1% of Czechs believe that the impacts of climate change may also be a motivation for immigration.
One-third of Czechs have close relatives abroad. This is more common among residents of the largest cities with over 200,000 people. By region, Karlovy Vary leads in this regard, with more than 60% of its residents stating that they have close relatives abroad.
When it comes to people leaving the Czech Republic for other countries, nearly half of respondents said they believe these people neither benefit nor harm the country. “When respondents did acknowledge some impact, they more often perceived it as negative, with more than a third stating that these people are a detriment,” the statisticians added.
According to three-quarters of respondents, Czechs most often leave for abroad for economic reasons, while 8% cited family reunification as a main motivation.
Only 6% of Czechs are interested in moving abroad in the next three years. This consideration is strongly linked to age; among people under 20, more than a third of respondents are interested in moving abroad.
The survey was conducted with 1,725 respondents from 23 January to 3 February.
