Abstract
For most of the second half of the 20th century, the Czech Republic (then part of Czechoslovakia) was a country with closed borders which people tended to wish to leave either legally (rarely) or as political refugees. The year 1989 brought a fundamental change.
The opening of the borders not only meant that people were free to leave, but also to enter. The number of foreign nationals living in the country has risen continually since 1989 and in 2017 the number of foreigners living in the Czech Republic exceeded half a million.
Another milestone for the short immigration history of the Czech Republic is the admission to the European Union, which opened the country to citizens of both the old and new member states. If we take a closer look at this relatively short history of immigration, we can see a general trend that is also visible in other countries - from an emigration country which people were more likely to leave, the Czech Republic has gradually become a transit country which foreign nationals registered mainly on their way to countries further to the west.
And finally, over the last few years, the Czech Republic has become an immigration destination where an increasing number of people from all corners of the world come in search of a new home. This trend was definitely confirmed in 2016 when the number of foreign nationals with permanent residence finally exceeded the number of those with just temporary residence - more and more people come to the Czech Republic to stay, work, start a family and enjoy old age.