Child benefits for Ukrainian women: the Czech Republic suggests boosting the birth rate through refugees

While the Czech Republic is hitting record lows in birth rates, leading sociologists are proposing an initiative: to allow Ukrainian female refugees to receive child benefits. Find out whether the government will take this step and what is preventing women in this country from having children

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The Czech Republic is facing a serious demographic decline and lags significantly behind other European countries in terms of birth rates. Whilst a significant proportion of new citizens in the EU are born to foreign women, Czech statistics look considerably more modest. To address this issue, local demographers and sociologists are proposing a radical step: granting Ukrainian refugees access to Czech child benefits. This is reported by Radio Prague International.

How the Czech Republic can boost the birth rate

On average across the European Union, foreign mothers give birth to almost 24% of all babies, whereas in the Czech Republic this figure barely reaches 13.9%. According to a number of experts, women from Ukraine could be the key to rectifying the situation.

Daniel Hule, an analyst at the Demographic Information Centre and an expert at the organisation ‘People in Need’, notes that there is currently a huge number of Ukrainian women in the country who are of prime childbearing age. Financial support from the state could significantly influence their desire to have children.

This view is shared by the renowned sociologist Daniel Prokop. According to him, providing child benefits to refugees from Ukraine would be the most effective tool for addressing the looming demographic crisis in the Czech Republic.

Child benefits in the Czech Republic: who is currently eligible

This refers to the so-called ‘parental allowance’ (rodičovský příspěvek or simply rodičovská). This benefit is paid to one of the parents who cares for a child under the age of three for a full year.

However, Ukrainian women in the Czech Republic with temporary protection status are not entitled to this money. Moreover, access to the benefits is restricted not only for them. As Klára Boumová from the charity Charita Česká republika points out, the benefit is not available even to those refugees who switch to a special long-term residence permit (for 5 years). The expert calls this situation unfair, given that working Ukrainians make significant financial contributions to the Czech system.

Payments to refugees

The issue of child benefits for Ukrainian women has already become a tool in political battles. A year ago, the current Prime Minister, Andrej Babiš, while serving as opposition leader, harshly criticised such initiatives. At the time, he claimed that the government was taking money from Czech mothers to give it to ‘foreigners’.

However, the rhetoric is now shifting. Andrej Babiš is expected to take part in a government conference on birth rates in mid-May, where the idea of financial support for Ukrainian women will be discussed at an official level.

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Why Ukrainian women are in no hurry to give birth in Europe

Before the full-scale war, around 85,000 Ukrainian women were living in the Czech Republic.

Today, according to the Czech Ministry of the Interior, there are over 155,000 Ukrainian women aged between 18 and 65 in the country with temporary protection status alone.

But their fertility remains lower than that of local women.

Czech statisticians explain this by the fact that, historically, foreign women came to the country for work, not to start a family. However, for female refugees, the main problem lies elsewhere — it is the lack of stability.

Ilnara Dudash, head of the Ukrainian Initiative of South Moravia, emphasises that temporary protection status, which must be renewed annually, creates uncertainty about the future. Women simply do not know whether they will be able to stay in the country in the long term, which greatly discourages them from planning to have children in the Czech Republic. Without a basic sense of stability, no financial support will be fully effective.

If you have questions regarding document preparation, permit renewal, or compliance with new requirements, you should consult immigration lawyers. In particular, through Visit Ukraine, you can get advice on legalization, employment, and obtaining residency status in EU countries.

Reminder! The Czech Republic is offering Ukrainian refugees the chance to settle in Europe and transition from temporary protection to long-term status. Applications for a special residence permit under the Lex Ukraine programme are being accepted until 30 April. Find out what strict income requirements must be met and how to apply online correctly.

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