Family strategies of immigrants in post-communist Czech Republic

Olga Nesporova, Research Institute for Labour and Social Affairs

At the start of the paper the transformation of migration processes in post-communist Czech Republic is outlined, with a more detailed analysis of the present situation following. The main part of the paper is based on a qualitative field survey in non-mixed families of immigrants from Ukraine and Vietnam, which are currently two of the largest groups of foreign nationals in the Czech Republic (the third being Slovaks). The survey is based on the assumption that migration strategy is not dependent merely on the individual, but also, to a great extent, to the individual’s family ties. The different strategies of immigrant families from Ukraine and Vietnam are compared, but processes that are common to both groups are also highlighted. Although the chosen approach treats the family as the basic research unit, the point of view of the individual actors, i.e. individual members of the families, are taken into account and any discrepancy within a family is disclosed. Analysis of qualitative data thus takes place on three levels: national, family and individual. Attention is focused on the following areas of foreigners lives that can help to explain many of the strategies opted for by foreigners in the Czech Republic: family networks, finding work, legislation, and living conditions.