Fewer Russians with residence permits in Czechia after Russia's invasion of Ukraine

The number of Russians living in Czechia has decreased after years of growth.

Source: Czech news outlet Novinky, as reported by European Pravda

At the end of June, 42,500 people from Russia had a residence permit in Czechia, 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 on year. In contrast, the number of Russian workers on the Czech labour market has increased, according to data from the Czech Statistical Office, the Ministry of the Interior, employment centres 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 Centre for Public Opinion Research (CVVM). Last autumn, the same proportion of respondents considered the country a threat to Czechia. The study reveals that 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 were granted residence permits in Czechia, of which 15,900 were allowed to stay in the country permanently. Last January, 45,700 people from Russia lived in Czechia, 23,400 of them permanently.

After the beginning of 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 this year, there were about 4,100 fewer. On the contrary, the number of Russian citizens allowed to stay in Czechia permanently has increased. In March last year, the Ministry of the Interior registered 23,500 of them, and in June this year, 24,000.

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

Not only economic migrants, but also refugees are travelling from Russia to Czechia. Last year, 157 of them applied for asylum in Czechia. Twenty applications were repeated. Last year, the Ministry of the Interior granted asylum to seven people and additional protection to four others. At the end of last year, a total of 143 asylum seekers from Russia were living in Czechia. This was the third largest group of refugees after refugees from Afghanistan and Myanmar. At the end of last year, 28 Russians were granted temporary protection.

After Russia's attack on Ukraine on 24 February last year, the Czech government decided to stop issuing visas to Russian citizens, except in humanitarian cases. When Russian President Vladimir Putin announced partial mobilisation in the country last September, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said that Russians fleeing the country to avoid mobilisation did not meet the conditions for a humanitarian visa in Czechia.

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