2004 saw lower number of asylum seekers in Czech Republic

Around 5,500 people applied for asylum in the Czech Republic in 2004, which is the lowest number since 1999. More than a half of the applicants in 2004 came from Ukraine and Russia. Compared to 2003, the number of asylum seekers dropped by 52 percent. The drop is believed to have been caused by the Czech Republic's accession to the European Union on May 1, 2004.