The Czech Republic — just a few years ago one of the friendliest countries for Ukrainian displaced persons (переселенців) — is increasingly appearing in the news due to conflicts based on language and nationality. For Ukrainians in Slovakia, this is a signal worth paying attention to: social processes in both countries often develop according to similar scenarios, so it is useful to know where the situation is heading and what to do if you face hostility.
Police statistics in the Czech Republic do not yet record an increase in physical attacks on foreigners, and the Czech police do not publish separate data specifically about Ukrainians. Human rights organizations that monitor hate crimes see a different picture.
Numbers that few want to say out loud
The Czech organization In IUSTITIA, specializing in violence due to prejudice, reports: in 2021, incidents against Ukrainians and Russians accounted for only 5% of all recorded cases, but after 2022 their share rose to 22–31%. According to their data, Ukrainians have become the most vulnerable group in the country — ahead of Roma, the LGBT+ community, and Jews.
The nature of attacks has also changed:
41% of incidents against Ukrainians took the form of physical attacks;
in 22% of cases, victims suffered bodily injuries;
at least one attack with fatal consequences was recorded.
This trend is confirmed by a survey by PAQ Research agency conducted in summer 2023: over 60% of Ukrainian refugees in the Czech Republic faced aggression. Mostly these were verbal insults, but every twentieth respondent reported a physical attack.
Why attitudes have changed
Sociologists name several reasons acting simultaneously. The prolonged war caused fatigue, and economic problems of Czechs make part of society perceive help to refugees as a burden. Added to this is misinformation: pro-Russian narratives portray Ukrainians as a security threat or competitors in the labor market, and some political forces readily adopt these narratives.
A revealing gap was found by a survey of the Public Opinion Research Center CVVM (autumn 2024): 56% of Czechs consider refugees a problem for the country overall, but only 30% see a problem in their own environment. Negative attitudes often form not from personal experience but from media and rumors. Meanwhile, Ipsos data from March 2026 show that about 60% of Czechs still consider the Ukrainian minority “problematic,” although STEM research from February 2026 recorded a slight improvement in attitude compared to the previous year.
What it looks like in real life
Behind the statistics are real stories. Ukrainians interviewed by Seznam Zprávy talk about incidents in transport, shops, government offices, and schools. A woman who has lived in the Czech Republic for 20 years forbids her children to speak any language other than Czech outside the home because she fears for their safety.
People fall into a trap of double standards: if they hear Russian — “occupiers,” if Ukrainian — “freeloaders.” Because of this, many consciously hide their identity and national symbols. Experts warn: if hate speech is not restrained, verbal aggression will increasingly turn into physical — following a scenario already observed in neighboring Poland, where attacks on Ukrainians are recorded almost daily.
What to do if you face aggression in Slovakia
The situation in Slovakia is currently calmer, but it is worth knowing basic safety rules. In case of threat or attack:
Call 112 (the single emergency number) or 158 (police). If you are not confident in the language, ask for an operator who speaks English.
Document the incident: video, photos, witness contacts, time and place.
File a report at the nearest police station. Hate crimes in Slovakia are prosecuted separately and have increased penalties.
If you need legal help in Ukrainian, contact humanitarian organizations working with displaced persons (partners of UNHCR, Liga za práva člověka (League for Human Rights)).
Save important phone numbers and hotlines so you don’t have to look for them in a critical moment.
Most Slovaks, like Czechs, treat Ukrainians normally and kindly — as evidenced by the same gap in CVVM between “a problem in the country” and “a problem nearby.” So it is not worth closing off and staying silent. You need to react differently: know your rights and do not leave incidents without consequences.
