The Directorate of the Foreigners Police Service published its quarterly report on 22 October 2026, revealing that 8 050 people were detected in connection with irregular migration during the first nine months of the year—0.9 % fewer than in the same period of 2025. The vast majority (96 %) involved over-stay cases rather than illegal border crossings. Third-country nationals from Ukraine, Moldova, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Georgia and Russia made up almost four-fifths of all status violations. Only 314 cases were recorded at Prague Airport and other external airports, while 194 were classified as transit migration aimed mainly at Germany. To curb document fraud on intra-Schengen flights from Athens, Czechia has stationed a document-examiner at Athens International Airport since March; the report credits this measure with a marked reduction in fraudulent travel papers. Enforcement activity continues to rise. Between January and September police carried out 144 179 residence inspections—up 12 % year-on-year—and checked more than 416 000 foreign nationals at workplaces, hostels and transport hubs. Employers found hiring without the proper permits face fines of up to CZK 10 million, and the inspection service says targeted audits will expand to the construction and logistics sectors in the fourth quarter. For global-mobility managers the data confirm that Czechia remains primarily a destination for legal labour migration rather than a transit hotspot. Nevertheless, companies hosting non-EU staff should double-check visa validity dates, as over-stay remains by far the biggest compliance risk. The government is expected to use the new digital residence law to cross-match databases and automate penalty notices from 2029.
Source: Police of the Czech Republic
