Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Czechia since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Today, they are not just receiving protection – they’re paying back more in taxes than they cost the state. Employers say many sectors would struggle without them.
Written by Barbora Pištorová | EURACTIV.cz
According to the Czech Interior Ministry, between February 2022 and the end of 2024, Czechia granted around 660,000 temporary protection permits in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Roughly 40% of those people have since moved elsewhere, but by the end of last year, 389,000 still held active protection in Czechia.
The latest figures show that 397,861 Ukrainians currently remain in Czechia under temporary protection, with the largest number living in Prague.
Ukrainians have not only found refuge in Czechia – they have also become a vital part of the national economy. Their contributions to the state budget now exceed the amount spent on their support. According to the Czech Labour and Social Affairs Ministry, at least €2.17 billion has returned to the state in taxes from Ukrainian refugees’ employment and consumption.
“More than half of Ukrainian refugees have entered the labour market in the Czech Republic—something Germany can only dream of. In Germany, only about a quarter of Ukrainian refugees are working,” said Kateřina Duspivová, an analyst from the STEM agency.
Ukrainians often take on jobs that are difficult to fill with Czech workers alone. “Thanks to that, in the past three years, Ukrainian refugees have contributed twice as much to the state budget as was spent on humanitarian assistance,” she added.
Czechia needs Ukrainians, say employers
The number of Ukrainian refugees active in the labour market has been steadily rising. “We only observe minor short-term fluctuations, which are consistent year-on-year. Currently, the ministry records about 150,000 employment relationships,” stated the Czech Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
Employers are quick to praise their contribution. “From the perspective of the Czech labour market, we consider Ukrainian employees a key workforce across a range of sectors, including construction, industry, services, and even healthcare and social services,” said Vít Jásek, executive director of the Confederation of Employer Unions.
According to Jásek, Ukrainians are irreplaceable in areas like transport infrastructure, industry, skilled trades, retail, healthcare and senior care homes. “Under current conditions, we believe the Czech Republic cannot function without Ukrainian workers,” he stated.
Language skills are still a challange
According to Duspivová, active labour market participation helps improve public acceptance of Ukrainians. Over the past three years, attitudes in Czech society have shifted significantly. Today, 46% of Czechs would accept a Ukrainian as a neighbour, compared to only 10% around the turn of the millennium.
In contrast, acceptance of Russians has sharply declined. While 50% of Czechs would have accepted a Russian neighbour in 2016, only 35% said the same in January 2025. “Ukrainians are currently seen as more acceptable neighbours than Russians,” Duspivová summarised.
This shift reflects a broader trend: Czech perceptions of migration depend heavily on the nationality and circumstances of arriving refugees. Ukrainians are viewed as culturally closer and economically beneficial, which helps their integration.
However, challenges remain – especially in language and cultural integration. According to Duspivová, learning Czech is a weak spot. “Only 37% of the Czech population considers language integration successful,” she noted. The language barrier may play a key role in determining whether Ukrainians stay long-term. Integration into the education system and adult language courses will be crucial to the future development of this community.
Unlike the refugee crisis of 2015 – when Czech society strongly opposed migration – the Ukrainian wave has not provoked the same level of resistance.
It is still unclear whether the arrival of Ukrainian refugees has helped break taboos around migration to Czechia in general. “Nationality and country of origin play a key role,” said Duspivová. “While Ukrainians are more accepted by Czech citizens, the same cannot be said for other waves of migration,” she added.
The project is co-financed by the governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from the International Visegrad Fund. The mission of the fund is to advance ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.
The project is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea.
