Did criminality in the Czech Republic rise tens of percent points since war refugees from Ukraine came to Czechia? No, that's not true: The number of criminal offenses in the Czech Republic rose 18.8 percent in 2022 compared to the previous year but not because of refugees from Ukraine. Instead, the increase was due to the end of COVID-19 restrictions such as lockdowns, Czech Police said in a statement. The Czech press agency wrote that criminality had returned to normal pre-pandemic levels, with the number of offenses in 2022 being even a bit lower than in 2019.
The claim originated from a video (archived here) by @loganwolverineclaws on June 17, 2023, with the caption (translated into English by Lead Stories staff) "Pieta passed without conflict, politicians were unable to even come and light a candle!!!!! Ukrainians go home!!!" It opened (translated into English by Lead Stories staff):
Since the new Ukrainians have been here, crime has gone up by tens of percent.
