Czech authorities recorded 2,527 cases of illegal migration in the first quarter of 2025, a 6.7% increase compared to the same period last year, Foreign Police say. However, transit migration through the country dropped by 50%, accounting for only 1.3% of the total.
Most of the cases involved people staying in the country without valid documentation (97.3%). Border officers identified only 67 individuals who attempted to cross the external Schengen border illegally.
Ukrainian, Moldovan, and Vietnamese nationals made up nearly two-thirds (65.6%) of those found to be residing in the country without permission. In contrast, most of the border-crossing attempts involved citizens of Uzbekistan, Georgia, and Albania.
The majority of transit migrants arrived on Schengen-internal flights from Greece. More than half of them came from Syria, followed by individuals from Turkey and Palestine. Most stated that their final destination was Germany, with some aiming for Belgium, the Netherlands, or Norway. The Czech Republic remained primarily a transit country.
Officers also caught 49 individuals using forged or irregular documents, mainly citizens of Syria and Vietnam. These individuals most frequently presented falsified Greek or Romanian documents.
Authorities attribute the drop in transit migration to reduced pressure from the Western Balkan route and stronger international cooperation in border protection.
Photo credit: Policie ČR
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