Final Word from Friday, April 22, 2005
Czechs are hesitant to open their borders to foreigners but will increasingly be forced to do so. The election of another conservative pope has an effect on this, although it might not be readily evident. The Catholic Church's conservative stance on abortion and contraception is one reason for the population boom in developing countries, and many of the world's immigrants come from these areas. So far, the CR has taken in few outsiders, but it will have to conform more to international trends. While Vladimír Špidla was still premier, he promoted increased immigration by noting that foreigners make up only 2-3% of the Czech population, compared to 10% in most countries. As the EU's commissioner in charge of the depopulation problem, he'll likely win the new pope's blessing for his immigration plans, as long as they're aimed primarily at Christians. [Czech Republic Catholicism religion asylum]