Male refugees from Ukraine outpace women for first time among new arrivals to Czechia

In 2025, men prevailed among Ukrainians who received temporary protection in Czechia for the first time since the full-scale war began. The trend continues this year, and the number of Ukrainian men of working age in the country increased by more than 20,000 over the year.

According to the annual migration report of the Czech Ministry of the Interior, women accounted for 48.3% of Ukrainians who were granted temporary protection last year. In 2024, their share reached 56.3%.

The shift began after Ukraine, at the end of August 2025, allowed men aged 18 to 22 to travel abroad. The inflow of young Ukrainians to Czechia has noticeably increased since then.

According to Czech Interior Ministry spokeswoman Hana Malá, in the autumn of 2025, at certain periods, over a thousand young Ukrainian men entered the country per week. At the beginning of 2026, the figure dropped to several hundred each week.

Czech business representatives consider the arrival of Ukrainian men important for the labour market. Tomáš Prouza, President of the Union of Trade and Tourism, noted that they can partially fill the shortage of workers in construction, engineering, and logistics.

The President of the Association of Hotels and Restaurants, Václav Stárek, added that Ukrainians also readily work in the service sector, especially in food and beverage establishments, where Czech employers are increasingly facing staff shortages.

Temporary protection gives Ukrainians the right to legally reside and work in European Union countries.

У за матеріалами: Novinky and the Czech Ministry of the Interior