Croatia and foreign workers

Zagreb

A conference organised by Večernji List titled “The Croatia We Need – Challenges of Integrating Foreign Workers,” has brought together politicians and numerous employers.

Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, Gordan Jandroković, addressed the growing challenges of integrating foreign workers, highlighting the need for clear policies as Croatia experiences rapid economic growth and a rising influx of international labour.

Jandroković discussed amendments to the Aliens Act, which are soon to be tabled at a government session and were presented at the end of February, as well as policies related to the employment of foreign workers.

He emphasised that the issue of foreign labour and their integration is a current topic that requires a clear stance to set the pace for Croatian society as a whole.

He highlighted the importance of contextualising the current moment and the broader perspective when discussing this topic. He pointed out that the challenge of integrating foreign workers is complex, with different experiences worldwide, and the timing of this issue in Croatia is far from simple.

Reflecting on the past five years, he noted that the country has faced significant challenges, beginning with the COVID-19 crisis, followed by earthquakes, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, disruptions in energy and food markets, and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Simultaneously, significant technological changes, including the use of artificial intelligence and its potential misuse, are taking place.

The international order has drastically changed, with the influence of international organisations diminishing and international law, once the foundation of global functioning, now largely marginalised.

Western democracies, often seen as role models, have been hit by waves of populism and extremism, both left and right, leading to a significant transformation in the world.

Despite these challenges, Jandroković believes that Croatia has navigated these turbulent times relatively well, experiencing economic growth and consistently ranking among EU countries with the highest GDP growth rates, Večernji list said.

He reiterated that Croatia now has the highest employment levels in its history, the highest credit rating, and strengthened international reputation, having joined the Schengen Area and adopted the euro.

He considers Croatia to be a stable and well-organised country that is economically progressing and approaching the average of EU member states.

“This is the context in which we now address the issue of integrating foreign workers,” said Jandroković. “In 2021, we had just over 80,000 foreign workers; in 2022, over 120,000; in 2023, over 170,000; and this year, we expect close to 200,000 work permit applications for foreign workers. This rapid growth may be faster than anticipated, linked not only to our economic growth but also to negative demographic trends.

Fortunately, emigration is decreasing, which was exceptionally high in some years, and we must acknowledge that some Croatians no longer wish to do certain manual jobs, leading us to seek replacements from countries where people are willing to take on such work.

The arrival of foreign workers is not accidental; it is a result of economic growth and internal changes in Croatian society, and I believe it is necessary. We cannot escape this phenomenon, which has occurred in all developed European countries at some stage when their labour force became insufficient, leading to the arrival of foreign workers.

We must send a clear message that without foreign workers, there can be no economic growth and development, and the standard of living for Croatians will decline if certain jobs are not filled by workers from other countries.”

Jandroković noted that, historically, Croatians have emigrated, often integrating easily into countries with similar cultural and civilisational backgrounds.

He observed that integration was not an issue when people from historically, culturally, or geographically similar countries came to Croatia, as was the case when workers from neighbouring countries arrived, primarily in tourism and construction.

However, challenges arise when workers from distant countries with different cultures, religions, customs, and traditions arrive in significant numbers, becoming visible in the media and to ordinary citizens on the streets.

“We have only recently started to address this issue seriously,” he said. “So far, there have been few serious incidents despite the large number of foreign workers, but this does not mean that even the smallest incident should not be condemned, as we cannot predict what tomorrow might bring.

We must take a firm stance that any form of violence stemming from differences in faith, race, or nationality is unacceptable. These people have come here seeking better opportunities, sending money to their families, and some may even bring their families here.

From a humanitarian and moral perspective, no one has the right to deny these people the opportunity to come to other countries and work, and this should be our general stance.”

He added that there are those who exploit this issue to provoke problems, stating that “if we approached this issue purely rationally, it would be a simple matter of recognising that foreign workers are here, and there’s no debate about it.”

However, he acknowledged that the arrival of foreign workers also generates irrational emotions, leading some to exploit the situation.

Jandroković recalled a recent incident where a political party misrepresented an event to incite hostility towards foreign workers. “Such actions must be condemned, but at the same time, we should avoid creating moral panic, as the situation has not yet escalated significantly.

We must be cautious to prevent these issues from spreading and taking on a new context. Minister Piletić will provide information on the Aliens Act, which is currently the only document addressing this issue.

This law must protect domestic workers, as there is no denying that employers may try to reduce labour costs by employing foreign workers.

This is nothing new, so we must protect Croatian workers while recognising that their numbers are insufficient to meet all our needs, especially in sectors where some Croatians no longer wish to work, such as construction, tourism, hospitality, transport, and industry.

Most of these sectors now rely on foreign workers. I’m pleased that the law also addresses the need to provide dignified housing for foreign workers and considers the possibility of extending their stay, with work permits being extended to three years.

This is crucial because the number of requests for extended stays in Croatia is decreasing, meaning that people come, stay for a while, and then leave, making integration difficult, if not impossible. If their stay here is longer, the state must take measures to improve their integration,” Jandroković concluded.

The amendments to the Aliens Act, including the extension of work permits for foreign workers to three years, have been known since the end of February. Jandroković also mentioned that a Croatian language course has been launched, but the response so far seems to be quite low. He emphasised that efforts will need to be made to improve this, but noted that it’s not just a task for policymakers—employers must also play a role.