Transit migration through Czechia continues to decline sharply

Only 52 people were detained in Czechia during transit migration in the first half of 2025 — a 63% drop compared to the same period last year, according to the police data. That continues a broader trend: in the first half of 2023, 139 people were detained, and in 2022, nearly 800. The decrease is linked to lower pressure along the Western Balkan route and tighter border controls through international cooperation. Most detained migrants were from Syria, with smaller numbers from Russia and Turkey, and more than half arrived by air from Greece. While transit migration is falling, the number of people found living in Czechia without proper documentation slightly increased to 4,882, with the majority from Ukraine, Moldova, and Vietnam.