More than half of Czechs believe that the public has prejudices against foreigners and would prefer not to have neighbors from certain nationalities, particularly due to the impact of the Ukraine conflict.
Recent surveys indicate that over half of Czechs perceive the public's attitude toward foreigners as biased, with many admitting they would prefer not to have neighbors from specific nationalities such as Afghans, Arabs, or Syrians. In contrast, they show greater acceptance towards foreigners from Western countries, highlighting a significant cultural divide within Czech society. Additionally, more than one-fifth of Czechs believe having a Russian national as a neighbor would be unacceptable, a sentiment that has grown stronger due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The survey results reveal a stark shift in attitudes compared to ten years ago, when half of Czechs had no issues with Russian neighbors. Now, only about a third express comfort in that regard. Conversely, the sentiment towards Ukrainian immigrants has shifted positively, with around 44% of Czechs willing to accept Ukrainians as neighbors. Despite this increase, Ukrainians still rank mid-tier in acceptability among various nationalities, with Slovaks, English, and Americans being the most favored.
Analyst Kateřina Dus comments on the data, noting that Czechs traditionally maintain a strong positive relationship with Slovaks and citizens from economically developed countries. There's also been a notable rise in the acceptance of Vietnamese residents in recent decades, indicating a complex landscape of ethnic and national opinions within the Czech Republic stemming from both historical relationships and recent geopolitical events.
