Commentary: 17 November: opening the doors of freedom and migration in the Czech Republic
Mirek Mejtský, global labour migration specialist at Petyovský & Partners
17 November is the commemoration of the Day of the Struggle for Freedom and Democracy. For the Czech Republic, it is an important commemoration of the fall of the communist regime, the transformation of the political system into a pluralist democracy and, in the economic sphere, the change of the planned economy to a market economy.It was an imaginary opening of the door to the Western world. Another milestone was 2004, when the Czech Republic joined the European Union. This abolished borders and opened up the possibility of free movement of people within Europe.Since then, the Czech Republic has seen an increase in migration flows, with more people entering the country every year. This influx of people from different countries of Europe and the world has had an impact on the diversity of society and the economic development of the country. Accession to the European Union has enabled citizens from different countries to travel and work freely in the Czech Republic, as well as for Czechs to live and work in EU countries. It is important to realise that migration contributes to the diversity of cultures, customs and skills that enrich Czech society and the labour market.
Today, we face another challenge in securing the workers we need; we are in a global battle for talent. Migration policy has become a condition for economic transformation. With persistently low unemployment rates and a projected increase in demand for highly skilled workers, especially in IT, technology and research, the Czech Republic needs to adjust its migration policy to attract and retain foreign talent.
Currently, the concept of migration policy does not sufficiently address the needs of a modern knowledge-based economy. Compared to other developed countries that recognise the importance of migration for their development, the Czech migration framework remains based on outdated principles dating back to the 1990s. The evolution of immigration can be seen in the attached chart. An increasing trend can be seen especially in the last 10 years.
Source : https://www.czso.cz/csu/cizinci/cizinci-pocet-cizincu
Number of foreigners in the Czech Republic:
