How the attitude of Czechs towards Ukrainian refugees has changed: a survey
Date: 2024-09-17 Author: Michail Kovalenko Categories: COMMUNITY
A survey conducted by the research organization STEM tells how the attitude of Czechs towards Ukrainian refugees has changed.
Public support for Ukrainian refugees in the Czech Republic remains at the same level as in March 2024. In June 2024, 55% of respondents spoke out in favor of extending the residence permit for Ukrainian refugees. In June, 16% of respondents answered "definitely against" while in March there were 22%. In June 2023, 56% of Czechs surveyed were in favor of continuing to accept Ukrainian refugees, while 17% were categorically against.
About three quarters of respondents (73%) believe that the Czech state should support easier recruitment of Ukrainians to the labor market. At the same time, 61% of people believe that the state should ensure that new refugees do not arrive in the Czech Republic.
More than half of respondents (59%) also believe that the state should actively try to reduce the number of Ukrainian refugees in the Czech Republic. Currently, there are 370 thousand refugees from the war in the Czech Republic. At the same time, 54% of Czechs believe that the state should provide an opportunity to stay in the Czech Republic for those Ukrainians who express such a desire.
"I explain it this way: people perceive Ukrainian refugees differently. If they strive for work and language integration, the Czech public is very open to them. However, some believe that some refugees do not try hard enough to integrate," STEM Director Jaromír Mazák commented on the results of the study.
Almost three quarters (73%) say that the arrival of Ukrainian refugees has not affected their personal situation. According to 17% of people, their personal situation worsened with the arrival of Ukrainian refugees.
Czechs most often meet Ukrainians at work, at school, in stores. Those people who communicate with Ukrainian refugees almost every day have a positive attitude towards Ukrainian refugees.
Czechs assess their attitude towards Ukrainians based on personal contacts as follows:
"mostly positive" – 24%;
"uncertain, equally positive and negative" – 41%;
"mostly negative" – 17%;
practically had no experience of contacts with Ukrainians – 18%.
About a quarter of people (28%) reported direct experience of problems or conflicts involving Ukrainians.
Recall that we wrote that in the Czech Republic they talked about income from Ukrainian refugees. The income from taxes and insurance that Ukrainian refugees pay in the Czech Republic significantly exceeds the state's expenses on assistance to Ukrainians.
The study also found earlier that most Czechs believe that more Ukrainian refugees have arrived in the Czech Republic than the country could accept. More than half are in favor of Ukrainians returning home in the future.
The majority of Czechs are against the arrival of new refugees
About three quarters of respondents (73%) believe that the Czech state should support easier recruitment of Ukrainians to the labor market. At the same time, 61% of people believe that the state should ensure that new refugees do not arrive in the Czech Republic.
More than half of respondents (59%) also believe that the state should actively try to reduce the number of Ukrainian refugees in the Czech Republic. Currently, there are 370 thousand refugees from the war in the Czech Republic. At the same time, 54% of Czechs believe that the state should provide an opportunity to stay in the Czech Republic for those Ukrainians who express such a desire.
"I explain it this way: people perceive Ukrainian refugees differently. If they strive for work and language integration, the Czech public is very open to them. However, some believe that some refugees do not try hard enough to integrate," STEM Director Jaromír Mazák commented on the results of the study.
Almost three quarters (73%) say that the arrival of Ukrainian refugees has not affected their personal situation. According to 17% of people, their personal situation worsened with the arrival of Ukrainian refugees.
How Czechs treat Ukrainians after personal contacts
Czechs assess their attitude towards Ukrainians based on personal contacts as follows:
"mostly positive" – 24%;
"uncertain, equally positive and negative" – 41%;
"mostly negative" – 17%;
practically had no experience of contacts with Ukrainians – 18%.
About a quarter of people (28%) reported direct experience of problems or conflicts involving Ukrainians.
Recall that we wrote that in the Czech Republic they talked about income from Ukrainian refugees. The income from taxes and insurance that Ukrainian refugees pay in the Czech Republic significantly exceeds the state's expenses on assistance to Ukrainians.
The study also found earlier that most Czechs believe that more Ukrainian refugees have arrived in the Czech Republic than the country could accept. More than half are in favor of Ukrainians returning home in the future.
