Ukrainians in Czechia could help in short-staffed health and social services

Ukrainian refugees who could work in the health sector and social services, two sectors facing long-standing labour shortage issues, are being sought out by the Czech Labour Ministry, Labour Minister Marian Jurečka (KDU-ČSL) said on Thursday.

Jurečka (KDU-ČSL) assessed the success of refugee integration in the country at a press conference following this week’s government meeting, Czech News Agency reported.

He said the Czech Republic is “the most successful country” in integrating newcomers, noting that of the 373,000 Ukrainian refugees (including children and pensioners) the Czech Republic has taken in, 123,000 people on protection visas are now employed.

“Social services, like other fields, are in a situation where there is a lack of human resources… We are working on one of the possible solutions and trying to target and reach out to people from among Ukrainian refugees who could work in health and social services. We see this as the biggest reservoir of people today who could fill the gaps quite quickly,” Jurečka said.

“Of course, we are also faced with the problem of education, or the question of its recognition, as well as the language barrier. We are also trying to work on this,” he added.

According to the minister, refugees are already working in social services and health care. They have also filled positions in other fields where there has been a long-term shortage of workers.

“The Czech Republic is actually the most successful country in terms of adaptation and integration of Ukrainian refugees thanks to the involvement of the whole society and companies,” he added.

Speaking about migration to the Czech Republic more generally, Jurečka said that the country’s labour market cannot do without foreigners.

(Ondřej Plevák | Euractiv.cz)