Posted on 09/20/2007 3:25:53 PM PDT by Grzegorz 246
Prague/Bratislava- Over 34,000 foreigners came to live in the Czech Republic in the first six months of this year, compared to 25,000 in the second half of last year, which proves that the number of immigrants living in the country is rising, the Czech Statistical Office (CSU) and foreigner police said today.
According to the foreigner police, a total of 356,014 foreigners lived in the Czech Republic in the first half of this year, compared to 321,456 at the end of 2006. This means that about 34,600 foreigners have arrived in the Czech Republic to stay there permanently or temporarily over the past half a year.
Over the past year, more than 60,000 foreigners decided to stay in the Czech Republic.
The Czech Republic still ranks among countries with a low number of foreigners, but the figure is rising.
While at the end of 2005 foreigners accounted for 2.5 percent of the Czech Republic's population, in the middle of this year the figure stood at 3.5 percent.
In the neighbouring Germany and Austria, for example, the share of foreigners is 10 percent, and in Switzerland 20 percent.
Foreigners' interest in living in the Czech Republic has grown mainly thanks to the country's admission to the EU, but mainly thanks to its economic growth, improving living conditions and better job opportunities.
In the first half of this year, 24,300 foreigners came to work in the Czech Republic legally.
The largest group of foreigners staying in the Czech Republic are Ukrainians. In the first half of this year, there were 115,000 Ukrainians with permanent residence or temporary stay permits, while three years ago there were 70,500 of them.
Ukrainians also make up the second biggest group of employees coming from abroad, the first one being Slovaks.
In the first half of this year, almost 49,000 Ukrainians worked in the Czech Republic legally, but another thousands of them are estimated to work in the country illegally.
Ukrainians also form the biggest group of foreigners with residence permits in Slovakia but, compared to the Czech Republic, their number is low.
In the first half of this year, only 630 Ukrainians received residence permits in Slovakia.
Ukrainians are wonderful people. I guess that is besides the point of the article. I was in Ukraine in July and had a great time. Three weeks of a great time. I am traveling to Prague in November to check that place out. I guess I will see a bunch of Ukrainians there. lol.
Per the online CIA World Factbook, ethnically, the Czech Republic is Czech 90.4%, Moravian 3.7%, Slovak 1.9%, other 4% (2001 census); and the relgious breakdown is Roman Catholic 26.8%, Protestant 2.1%, other 3.3%, unspecified 8.8%, unaffiliated 59% (2001 census).
what does the CIA know anyways? they can’t even find Iraq’s WMDs...:P
seriously, though...thanks Grzegorz for the history lesson in the spread of the Industrial Revolution in central Europe...:)
Czechs WERE mostly Catholic. however, post-communism they are (59%) atheist
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