It used to be that expatriates had tremendous value in this town.

A value that was equated in terms of a "tax," of sorts, a kind of premium paid to them due to their presence in the Czech Republic that would justify compensating them a tad more on their paycheck, or a special toll they were somehow compelled to pay by unscrupulous waiters as they would leave restaurants or bars.

Phew...I'm happy to announce that the days of pulling prices at Prague's hospody and restaurants is now dead and gone. The last time a bar owner tried to tack on a few more crowns to my drinks tab happened so long ago, I can't remember it.

Following closely in its wake has been the reduction of "expat salaries." People from abroad just don't seem to earn like they used to, and perhaps rightfully so. Czechs don't need the "know-how" of some glorified imported bean counter. They're more than capable enough to do the job on their own. The lessons expatriates used to regularly impart, ideally, have been taken to well by Czechs.

But it did get me thinking, just what exactly is the expatriate's "value add" these days? Is there a role for people who aren't Czechs in this capital, other than perhaps remaining a curious sight to feast eyes on? How does this process work in 2008?

Personally, I'd just as soon prefer these so-called "refuse" expats cease making our city their personal city of refuge. With the appreciation of the crown vis-a-vis all major global currencies, this is thankfully no longer viable. Prague is no longer the "Paris" it used to be. Of course, while many artists still stream here to shake up their creative juices, the squatting phenomenon has gone out of style.

Here's a list of reasons why I think expatriates have become personae non grata in the Czech context:

1) Insane income opportunities are no longer to be had. The Czech Republic is no longer an emerging market, and this information has to be conveyed onward.

2) Czechs no longer need expatriates to get a taste of "outside," ever since they can grab it for themselves. A Czech passport gets you practically anywhere today.

3) English has become marginalized in the city. Czechs plainly aren't fascinated by the English language any longer, as other Europeans further to the east still seem to be.

4) EU membership has raised the Czech Republic to a level playing field in Europe. Being in Cesko is no longer as "cutting-edge" as it used to be, at least as far as expatriates are concerned.

5) Communist-era vestiges have been buried under by consumerist kitsch in the centre of Prague. Tourists still seeking that old-time feeling have to dig deeper, especially if they had their eyes closed on the drive in from Ruzyne.

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Since Prague society is mature, perhaps it's time to concentrate on a different sort of interaction with non-Czechs? Perhaps it's time to bring in more immigrants to this country...

And what do you think? Is there still a role for non-Czech visitors and expatriate employees in the city? Can they still make a contribution to the uplifting and growth of this society, or has their time come and gone, part of the Czech Republic's pre-Cambrian history?

Wishing you the very best of things,
Adam Daniel Mezei