Working, Living and Health Conditions - Legal and Illegal

Migrant Workers,the Czech Republic

ECRP Eurocores, February 21-22, 2008

Irish School of Ecumenics, Dublin

„Trafficking for forced labor in industries other than the sex industry across Europe“

Dušan DRBOHLAV and Dagmar DZÚROVÁ

STRUCTURE OF THE PRESENTATION

• Migratory situation in the Czech Republic• Main aims of the project

Create Data sets•Data from the Directorate of Foreign and Border Police (Foreign Police), Police database•Non-representative questionnaire surveys (own empirical research)

Analyses of basic characteristics1. Reasons for migration2. Working, living and health conditions3. Satisfaction with conditions

Knowledge of the trends for forced labor, including countries of origin

The Czech Republic has quickly become a country of destination and transit - inward migration changing demographic structure. New situation: in December 2007. The Czech Republic joined the „Schengen“ – no internal borders!!!

Legal migration, the Czech Republic

Illegal / Irregular migration, the Czech Republic (official numbers)

Legal migration, the Czech Republic

Immigration and transit country – similar migratory patterns to western developed destination countries

Cca 400,000 immigrants – 4 % of population Economic reasons highly dominate Temporary/circulatory movements Main source regions:

- CEE countries (Slovakia)- Post-Soviet countries (Ukraine)- South-East Asia (Vietnam)- Poland

3,000 of asylum applications (2006)

Illegal migration, the Czech Republic (official numbers)

Official numbers in 2006 (Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs):

11,488 illegal immigrants– 38 % illegal border-crossing– 62 % violation of residence regime – Ukrainians, Vietnamese, Poles, Russians, Chinese 3,788 immigrants in illegal or undocumented

employment– Slovaks and Ukrainians…

Estimates: Between 40,000 - 400,000 illegal immigrants (stock) Probable main source countries - Ukraine, Vietnam, Moldavia,

Russia, Belorussia

Main aims of the projectQualitative (interviewS/25 in-depth) and quantitative (questionnaireS) research as well as a health perspective. The research covers origin, destination and transit aspects.

To collect own data on migrants – countries of origin, industries in which forced labor occurs etc.

To make comparison among different immigration groups

To develop frameworks for analysis of the police data – to create own regression (explanatory) models

To provide policy recommendations

Basic Data Sets

Official Police Data Set, CR (2005-1/2 2007) 1. Cases of detention by immigrant officers (N=31 257)

Non-representative questionnaire surveys:

2. Respondents - Legal migrant workers (N=126) 3. Respondents - Illegal migrant workers (N=159)

Combination - Linked file (N=285)

1. DATA SET – Official data (N=31 257)

Database „Illegal entrance and stay of persons in the CR in 2005, 2006, 2007 (first half of the year)“

A possibility to make use of official data on illegal migration of the Directorate of Foreign and Border Police

Grant project: „Trafficking for forced labor in industries other than the sex industry, the case of the Czech Republic“

31,257 persons – illegal migrants caught 1,2 – 1,7 of migrants per one act/case

Almost 50 % of illegal migrants caught in interior (breaking a law on foreigners´ stay)

Crossing the state borders – „illegal outflow“ from the CR dominates (over inflows) Decrease of caught foreigners over time Some caught foreigners are those who break the

law on foreignes´ stay …

Main results - 1

Citizenship Obviously citizens of Ukraine (almost 50 %) dominate,

followed by Russians, Vietnamese and Chinese (6-7%)

Citizens of the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany - smugglers!

Average age by citizenship „Older“ Western and South Eastern Europe versus

„younger“ Africa and Asia

Main results - 2

Illegal migration - regional patterns A capital city of Prague (25 -27 % of all caught illegal

migrants), border zone of Northern and Southern Bohemia (up

to 10 %) Illegal migration by season

three most important peaks the end of the old and very beginning of the new

year - Citizens of Russia and China, citizens of the Czech Republic and Poland – winter tourist season

March/April – citizens of Ukraine, Russia, China, Moldova and Bulgaria

July/August – citizens of Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic – summer tourist season

Main results - 3

Changes of the regime after the accession to the EU, e.g. Dublin system Decreasing numbers of illegal migrants over time, no

„big jumps“ …

Regarding many selected migratory categories - Ukrainians clearly dominate smugglers, repeated entrances, false documents

Younger age structure as compared to legal migrants Illegal stays in interior (55-60 %) Seasonal character of illegal migration

Conclusion

Sezónnost ilegální migrace - počty zachycených osob v ČR

0

200

400

600

800

1 000

1 200

1 400

1 600

1 800

leden únor březen duben květen červen červenec srpen září říjen listopad prosinec

2005

2006

2007

Illegal migrants caught in the CR by months 2005 – first half of 2007

2. DATA SET – Illegal migrant workers (N=159)

Two rounds of non-representative questionnaire survey (2005, 2007)

1st round (Prague area) - Post-Soviet irregulars (n=69)- East Asian irregulars (n=15)

2nd round (other regions) - Post-Soviet irregulars (n=66)- Vietnamese irregulars (n=14)

– Post-Soviet (n=135)- Asian (n=24)

FORMS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION TO THE CR

Means of immigration to the Czech Republic

3 4 7

2,3% 16,7% 4,5%

2 1 3

1,5% 4,2% 1,9%

6 6

4,5% 3,8%

72 5 77

54,5% 20,8% 49,4%

35 11 46

26,5% 45,8% 29,5%

9 9

6,8% 5,8%

5 3 8

3,8% 12,5% 5,1%

132 24 156

100,0% 100,0% 100,0%

Count

%

Count

%

Count

%

Count

%

Count

%

Count

%

Count

%

Count

%

Illegaly - smuggled/trafficked

Illegaly - across "green border"

On counterfeited documents

Legally - on tourist visa

Legally - on other type of visa

Legally and immediatelyapplied for asylum

Other

Total

Post-Soviet Vietnamese Total

REASONS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

Scale: 1=absolutely unimportant reason to 5=very important reason

Economic

Psychological

Vietnamese

Scale: 1=absolutely unimportant reason to 5=very important reason

Political

Environmental

Economic

Economic

Environmental

Political

Family

FamilyPsychol.

Psychol.

REASONS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION BY

EDUCATIONAL LEVELPost-Soviet

PERCEPTION OF NEGATIVE FACTORS OF ILLEGAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

Post-Soviet Vietnamese

Very important

Unimportant

Client system“ important phenomenon

among Post-Soviet immigrants

Case study: Legal vs. Illegal immigrants

Workplace exploitation

Case study: Legal vs. Illegal immigrants

Scale: 1= poor satisfaction to 5= high satisfaction

Satisfaction with work

Satisfaction with accommodation

Flea market

Case study: Legal vs. Illegal immigrants Inequality in

health/human rightReport

Mean

3,91

3,78

3,85

3,86

3,35

3,55

3,89

3,57

3,71

legalizationLegal

Illegal

Total

Legal

Illegal

Total

Legal

Illegal

Total

SexMales

Females

Total

SRH

Scale: 1= poor satisfaction to

5= high satisfaction

Case study: Legal vs. Illegal immigrants Adj. OR of SRH

Variables in the Equation

,050 1,763 1,000 3,109

,007 2,202 1,244 3,899

,219 1,483 ,792 2,777

,003 1,052 1,017 1,088

,934 1,014 ,739 1,390

,000 ,041

Poor3_job(1)

sex

legalization(1)

AGE

EDUCAT

Constant

Step1

a

Sig. Exp(B) Lower Upper

95,0% C.I.for EXP(B)

Variable(s) entered on step 1: Poor3_job, sex_ch99, legalization,age_ch100, edu_4.

a.

CONCLUSION Migrants´ irregular economic activities can not be

neglected when evaluating the migration situation in the Czech Republic

Economic reasons dominate among immigrants, mainly among Ukrainians. On the other hand, family and psychological reasons are often important for Vietnamese

Illegal migrants perceive their situation worse than those who stay legally in the country. Accordingly, Ukrainians are heavily hit by the existing exploitative „client system“.

Results showed us that there are similar patterns of migrants´ irregular economic activities like in many other western developed countries. However, the client system seems to be rather specific and unique.

Thank you for your attention

The research project done for:Eurocores, GA CR CRP/06/E001 and

MSM 0021620831 of the Ministry of Education, CR