ABSTRACT

Czech migration policy has developed in the context of its European Union accession and the need to address migration challenges. The Czech Republic was going through the complicated process of disintegration and economic and political transformation. The process of accession to the European Union gradually influenced and prioritized the objectives of Czech migration policy. The civic participation of migrants is a relatively new issue for Czech society. Foreigners do not have rights as ethnic and national minorities in the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic has gradually become a new country of immigration, especially for people from the former socialist world. Public discussions on issues related to migration can be divided into four distinct categories: the refugees; the demographic decline of the autochthonous population of the Czech Republic and the economic needs of the labour market; the illegal aspects of migration; and the integration of foreigners. The central issue is the health care system for asylum seekers in the Czech Republic.