Czech government wants to speed up hiring of foreign workers despite far-right hostility

Despite the nationalist rhetoric pushed by the far-right SPD party, a junior coalition partner, the government of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) is taking steps to help companies hire foreign workers and speed up work permits, Novinky.cz reports today.

SPD leader Tomio Okamura has repeatedly called to tighten conditions for Ukrainian citizens to receive temporary protection – a status that allows them to legally live and work in the Czech Republic and in the European Union.

But according to Martin Rozumek, head of the Organization for Refugee Assistance, “it’s just rhetoric”, and the government is instead heeding the calls of Czech companies facing growing labor shortages and struggling to fill open positions.

“The pressure from businesses is relentless, we also need newcomers due to demographic trends to make sure our health and social services are sustainable,” Rozumek explained.

Despite fears that the new leadership would introduce stricter conditions for Ukrainians to receive special long-term residence – a measure introduced by the former government of ex-PM Petr Fiala – the three-party coalition has left the rules largely unchanged.

About 22,000 people met all the conditions so far in 2026, according to Interior Ministry spokeswoman Adéla Dittmannová, compared to around 16,000 last year.

Meanwhile, the Czech government is also preparing a reform to increase quotas for foreign workers from specific countries – including the Philippines – speed up work permitting applications and reduce bureaucratic processes.

“We have started preparing a faster system for people to come here,” Trade and Industry Minister Karel Havlíček confirmed.

With one of the lowest unemployment rates in the EU and a plummeting birth rate, the Czech Republic could face a shortage of half a million people by 2045, according to a recent study by the Moore CR consulting group.

“The Czech Republic desperately needs everyone who is willing to work,” warned Tomáš Prouza, the head of the Czech Trade and Tourism Association. “We have discouraged a lot of people by having very complicated permit processes, and many people ended up going to work in Germany, for example.”

He also called for an even more comprehensive reform: “The fight for workforce from third countries is intensifying throughout Europe, and the current government’s steps may not be enough.”