What Makes Migrants Deserving? A Conjoint Experiment on Granting Entry to Czechia

Public attitudes toward migration are influenced by diverse social, cultural, and political factors, making it essential to understand which migrant traits shape positive perceptions. Drawing on a 2024 conjoint experiment with over 1,000 participants conducted in Czechia, we found that greater work experience increases the perceived suitability for entry. Migrants with job offers are preferred most, followed by those seeking employment. Whereas respondents’ education levels affect attitudes toward migrant employment, the overall preference hierarchy remains stable. Our findings challenge the common assumption that geographic or cultural proximity fosters acceptance. We find that economic and cultural factors do not simply compete; they interact, and their relative weights vary across groups.