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An intergovernmental organization established in 1951, IOM is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society.

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  • More than 450 field locations
  • More than 7,800 staff working on more than 2,700 projects
  • More than US$ 1.3 billion expenditures in 2011

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  Czech Republic  

Facts and Figures

IOM Member State since 1995

Capital: Prague
Population (2011): 10.5 million
Area: 78,866 sq km
Major Language: Czech
Currency: Czech Koruna (CZK)
GDP per Capita PPP (2010): USD 25,283
HDI Rank (2011): 27 of 187
Remittances (2011 estimate): USD 1,201 million
Net Migration Rate (2010-2015): 2 migrants / 1,000 population
Immigrants (2010): 4.4%
Women as a Percentage of Immigrants (2010): 53.2%
Population under 15 (2011): 14.1%
Adult HIV Prevalence (2009): <0.1%

Sources and Definitions




Overview

The Czech Republic is increasingly becoming a destination country for migrants with 440,000 legally residing foreigners. An annual migration report prepared by the government also identifies a substantial number of irregular migrants. In addition, a rather new irregular migration route has continued from Mongolia.

IOM's strategy for 2010 focuses on capacity building in migration management in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iraq. It continues to build capacities and reintegration mechanisms in the Republic of Moldova and Mongolia, where labour migration activities are also conducted. IOM Prague continues its programmes in returns and repatriations.

Migration and Development

Donor

  • Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic through the Czech Development Cooperation programme

Maximizing the positive impact of migration on development has long been a strategic focus of IOM's work. IOM programme activities in this area include strengthening the capacity of governments to involve migrant populations in development processes in their countries of origin, fostering economic and community development in areas prone to economically induced outward migration, enhancing the development impact of remittances and facilitating the return and reintegration of qualified nationals.

IOM Prague works closely with the Czech Government in the framework of its Development Cooperation Programme, implementing projects in the following countries:

  • Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan: Support to human resources development, capacity building of state administration in employment issues and in vocational education for the purposes of reintegration of nationals vulnerable to migration.
  • Moldova: Return and reintegration in the labour market of Moldovan nationals including support for financial literacy and effective use of remittances.
  • Mongolia: Prevention of human trafficking, informed labour migration and capacity building of local institutions and NGOs.
  • Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iraq, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan: Capacity building projects of migration management to effectively manage immigration, transit and outgoing migration.
    The projects are implemented for the Ministry of Interior, Department of Asylum and Migration Policies. Where possible, linkages are sought with ongoing multilateral programmes financed by the European Union in the given countries and regions.

Main Project

  • Support to reintegration in the labour market in Georgia for vulnerable populations
  • Support to the reintegration capacities of the Republic of Moldova
  • Support to the reintegration of the returnees in the labour market in the Republic of Moldova
  • Support to capacity building in Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Reintegration and Stabilisation Activities in Mongolia
  • Continuation of the Informational Campaign on Prevention of Irregular Migration of Mongolian Citizens
Regulating Migration

Donors

  • Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic
  • Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic
  • The European Commission (RETURN Fund)

IOM in the Czech Republic operates the Assisted Voluntary Return Programme to facilitate the voluntary and orderly return of irregular migrants and asylum seekers who decide to withdraw their asylum claim to their country of origin, and to contribute towards the sustainability of their return. The project includes return counseling and information dissemination, pre-departure assistance, transit assistance, assistance upon arrival and reintegration assistance.

The project is implemented in close collaboration with the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic, local referral partners in the Czech Republic, and IOM offices in countries of transit and origin. IOM provides potential beneficiaries with information about the advantages of assisted voluntary return through information materials and outreach efforts, and assistance in arranging the voluntary return (obtaining travel documentation, purchasing travel tickets, departure, transit and arrival assistance). Since 2003, IOM Prague has offered reintegration assistance to returnees through a labour market skills upgrading scheme and small business support.

IOM, with the financial support of the Governments of Australia, Japan and the Czech Republic, implements the programme Capacity Building in Migration Management in Iraq. The programme enables the Government of Iraq to strengthen the institutional and operational capacities of its administrative institutions and develop long-term strategies for effective migration management.

Main Projects

  • Assisted Voluntary Returns and Reintegration
  • Capacity Building in Migration Management in Iraq: Study Tours for Iraqi Government Officials in the Czech Republic
Facilitating Migration

Donor

  • Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic

In partnership with the Czech Government, IOM Prague ran an information campaign on the labour opportunities for foreign workers in the Czech Republic through the pilot phase of the project "Selection of Qualified Foreign Workers". IOM provided information on job opportunities and immigration procedures to potential migrants in Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Montenegro, the Russian Federation, Serbia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Ukraine. Under the programme, successful applicants are able to apply for permanent residency in the Czech Republic after a year and a half (as opposed to a regular requirement of five years). Best practices of other countries are also shared with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and discussions with employers organized on their approach to labour migration.

Main Project

  • Information campaign about the pilot project "Selection of Qualified Foreign Workers to the Czech Republic"
Migration Policy and Research

Donors

  • Ministry of Interior
  • Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs

IOM Prague undertakes research initiatives into the communities of foreigners in the Czech Republic, their role in the society and their further development. This includes the situation in the labour market as well as the integration of the foreign workforce. In the field of trafficking prevention, special attention is paid to the demand side of the phenomenon.

In 2008, IOM Prague organized the pilot year of the Summer School on Migration Studies for Czech and foreign students of Czech universities. The school shall be organized on an annual basis.

Main Projects

  • Pilot Research Among Customers of Commercial Sex Services in Two Border Regions of the Czech Republic and Campaign Targeting Clients of Prostitution in the Czech Republic
  • Pilot Project Integration of Foreigners and Support to Organizations and Associations for Foreign Communities in the Czech Republic
  • Inner Restriction within the Chosen Ethnic Groups (Vietnamese, Ukrainians) on the Labour Market
  • Summer School on Migration Studies


Last updated:
Main text: November 2010
Facts and figures: May 2012