Fewer Russians with residence permits in the Czech Republic

The number of Russians living in the Czech Republic has decreased after years of growth.

This was reported by Novinky.

At the end of June, 42,500 people from Russia had a residence permit in the Czech Republic, which is about 3,600 fewer than in March last year after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Several hundred fewer Russian students are studying at Czech universities year after year. On the contrary, the number of Russian workers in the Czech labor market has increased, according to the Czech Statistical Office, the Ministry of the Interior, employment centers, and the Ministry of Education.

A year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine this spring, more than half of Czech citizens agreed with Russia's complete political and economic isolation, according to the CVVM Center for Public Opinion Research. Last fall, the same proportion of respondents considered the country a threat to the Czech Republic. According to the study, antipathy prevailed over sympathy even before the outbreak of the war last year, five decades after the 1968 invasion of what was then Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact troops and three decades after the withdrawal of occupying Soviet troops from Czechoslovakia.

Ten years ago in June, 33,400 Russians had residence permits in the Czech Republic, of which 15,900 were allowed to stay in the country permanently. Last January, 45,700 people from Russia lived in the Czech Republic, 23,400 of them permanently.

After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the number of temporary permits began to decline. As recently as March last year, 22,600 Russians had them, and in June of this year, there were about 4,100 fewer. On the contrary, the number of Russian citizens allowed to stay in the Czech Republic permanently has increased. In March last year, the Ministry of the Interior registered 23,500 of them, and in June of this year, 24,000.

Foreigners can apply for permanent residence after five years of residence in the Czech Republic. Russians make up the fourth largest group of foreigners, representing four percent of people from abroad.

Author - Olena Madiak, 13/08/2023