Foreigners in the Czech Republic

This is the fifth publication in the series ‘Foreigners in the Czech Republic’ of the Czech Statistical Office, which follows the first brought out in December 2001. In the new edition of 2005, changes occurred in the format (now A4) as well as in relation to the accession of the CR to the European Union. All tables that previously contained details for individual countries will be now arranged so that the EU25 will be listed in the beginning of the tables and separately from other countries. The accession of the CR to the EU altered predominantly Chapters 1 and 3. In Chapter 1, changes apply mainly to an increase of the number of categories for residence of foreigners distinguished by the Alien and Border Police of the CR (EU citizens now have residence conditions absolutely different from those of non-EU countries and slightly different from the regime of dependants of EU citizens; it is reflected also in categories of residence measured). Changes of the contents and breakdown of Chapter 3 are influenced mainly by free movement of EU citizens for work.

The book updates and expands data on foreigners in the Czech Republic, focusing comprehensively on current data on foreign citizens who chose the Czech Republic to be their place of permanent or long-term residence, have found or are have been still seeking jobs there and/or came to the Czech Republic to escape political persecution or a critical economic situation in their countries. Data for the year 2004, frequently supplemented with time series of data for the previous years, are a focal point of the publication. Since there is not enough space in the paper version of this publication, data for all years, for which the data are available, are not included in tables containing time series. The whole time series can be found at the website of the CZSO:

Similarly to the publications brought out before the information presented in this book was gained from the information systems administered by the Ministry of the Interior of the CR, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the CR, Ministry of Industry and Trade of the CR, Ministry of Justice of the CR, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the CR, and Ministry of Health of the CR, and the Czech Statistical Office, and coordinated by the editorial board composed of representatives of the above-mentioned departments. Publishing this book is instigated by the Minister of the Interior’s Commission for the Integration of Foreigners and Development of Relations among Communities.

In Chapter 1 (Demographic aspects of the foreigner’s life) Tables 1-7 and 1-8 are newly published in two variants - the first one is for foreigners in total (included are individuals with current asylum, foreigners with permanent, long-term and temporary residence as well as foreigners staying in the CR based on the visa over 90 days) and also only for individuals with residence permit (it means all the above-mentioned categories with the exception of stays for visas over 90 days). The second variant of tables is marked 1-7.1 and 1-8.1. At the same time, it was not possible this year to publish data on purpose-for-residence (Tables 1-9 to 1-11), because in this item problems occurred regarding the transition to the new system and before the data are corrected (probably in September 2005) they cannot be deemed to be reliable according to the Alien and Border Police of the CR. Due to the same reason, what is missing this year also is a graph depicting economic activity as a purpose-for-residence and its structure for five of the most numerous citizenships. In this edition, a graph of international comparison of share of foreigners among population and a graph of international and internal migration of foreigners was added.

Chapter 2 (Asylum and asylum facilities) changed only as to incorporate legislative changes and news in the asylum procedure.

In Chapter 3 changes occurred in relation to the accession of the CR to the EU as well as free movement of EU citizens for work and related changes in the Act on Employment (work permit for third-country citizens and obligatory registrations of employees with permanent residence in the CR as well as EU citizens via their employers at public labour offices).

In Chapter 4 (Education of foreigners), tables related to students by field of study were included again.

In the remaining three chapters (Crime of foreigners, Health care for foreigners and Illegal migration across the state border of the Czech Republic) only small changes were made.

Group of foreigners, on whom records are available in information systems, differs one from another; it is quite difficult to create a complex picture about foreigners from such non-homogeneous sources. It is not a willful complicating of orientation in information about foreigners; this situation is caused rather by the fact that individual information sources are modified for the needs of the relevant ministry, at which they were made, and the process of harmonization of data sources with regards to mutual comparability is only in the beginning and is in no case easy. To make it clearer about what foreigners individual tables provide information, we have prepared a summary table, which you can find on the page 5 (numbers of tables relate to this year’s issue of the publication).

Should there be any comments as to the contents and form of the publication, now is the right time to inform us about them so that we can take them into account while preparing another issue of the publication.

The publication is provided free to libraries, schools, research institutes and non-government non-profit organizations and institutions. The information it contains is also designed for members of Parliament and the Government of the Czech Republic as well as for central and local governments, journalists, and all citizens of the Czech Republic.

Prague, 2005