Police: number of illegal immigrants up in 2013

The police last year apprehended 4315 illegal immigrants in the Czech Republic, which was 550 more than in the previous year, the head of the Czech Foreigner Police told reporters on Thursday. The three top source countries of illegal immigration are Ukraine, Russia and Vietnam; the police also found citizens of Libya, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Slovakia staying in the Czech Republic without legal permits. The number of illegal crossings of the Schengen border at Czech airports increased by 60 to 179 cases last year. The police believe the Czech Republic is a destination mainly for Eastern European immigrants while migrants from elsewhere tend to transit to other countries.

Author: Jan Richter