State, Policy, and Migrants: The Making of Migration Policy in the Czech Republic

Abstract

This habilitation thesis explores the evolution, structure, and resilience of migration and integration policy in the Czech Republic, with a particular focus on the period before and after the arrival of Ukrainian refugees in 2022. Through five peer-reviewed journal articles, the thesis investigates how institutional frameworks, political discourse, and multi-level governance have shaped the country’s approach to migrant integration. The first two articles analyse the discursive and financial dimensions of integration policy in the Czech Republic prior to 2022, while the remaining three assess the impact of the Ukrainian refugee crisis as a potential catalyst for policy adaptation. Methodologically, the thesis is based on qualitative analysis - policy document reviews, discourse analysis, and case studies - while selected cases also make use of quantitative analysis of available statistical data. It is grounded in concepts from policy design, historical institutionalism, and multilevel governance. The thesis identifies strong path dependencies in Czech migration governance, including limited inter-ministerial coordination, weak engagement with the NGO sector, and a tendency toward centralisation. At the same time, it documents new spaces of local and regional involvement triggered by the emergency reception of Ukrainian refugees. Although some crisis-driven innovations were introduced, the findings suggest that these shifts often lacked systemic follow-through and remained embedded in ad hoc governance modes. The thesis thus contributes to a better understanding of how external shocks interact with long-standing institutional legacies, offering both theoretical and empirical insights relevant to migration policy analysis in Central and Eastern Europe.