Djurovic: The region is open to foreign workers, citizens concerned about their integration

Rados Djurovic, Director of the Center for Protection and Assistance to Asylum Seekers, emphasized that the countries of the region are open to the arrival of legal labor, but that the population is concerned about how foreign workers will integrate into society.

In a statement for Kosovo Online, Djurovic underlines that legal and irregular migration must be distinguished.

“Irregular migration refers to situations in which people arrive without visas, coming to save their lives, most often as refugees or asylum seekers. Legal migration implies desired migration with adequate residence and work permits. This was the case with Turkish citizens mainly in Montenegro. In other Balkan countries as well, there is a chronic shortage of labor, and in that sense all those countries are trying to bring in new workers who would fill empty positions,” Djurovic said.

He added that Serbia is also among the countries which are now thinking more intensively about this and taking steps in that direction.

“Last year, more than 100,000 work permits were issued to foreigners. A similar number is expected this year, and those figures will not decrease in the coming years, because there is a chronic shortage of labor in many professions. In this regard, Serbia and countries of the region are considering increasing labor migration,” Djurovic said.

Regarding the conditions for the stay of foreign workers in Serbia, Djurovic explains that the procedure for coming to Serbia is clear.

“To come to Serbia, you need to apply for a work and residence permit. Employment agencies play a significant role in this process—both in the country of origin, and the employment agencies from Serbia that find clients, that is, employers who face a labor shortage. They bridge that first contact and establish a link with the countries of origin from which workers are sought. When they come here, residence and work permits are issued fairly quickly—within the first three months—in order to facilitate the engagement of these people and their arrival in Serbia,” Djurovic said.

He specified that the employer is also obligated to provide accommodation for the workers.

Nevertheless, he stressed that there is a trend among foreign workers to stay for a while, but then later leave.

“They come here, but due to the proximity of the European Union and because many believe it to be a safe haven, they leave, convinced that the European Union offers better conditions. Many of them disappear, reconnect with smugglers, and attempt to move on, most often illegally. At that point, there is no longer any difference between this irregular migration and the new migration from Serbia toward the European Union. This is a chronic problem,” Djurovic said.

Asked about the attitude of the majority population in Serbia toward foreigners, he pointed out that this attitude differs depending on the group of foreigners.

“When it comes to refugees—people fleeing war or violence, whether they are from Syria, Iraq, or even Ukraine—our population shows a high degree of understanding. Empathy likely exists because of our own historical context, what we ourselves have recently experienced—war, bombing, displacement—and in that sense we understand why people come,” he said.

However, he added, there is decreasing understanding when it comes to legal labor migration, i.e., foreign workers.

“We are noticing that citizens increasingly have questions and fears that they will lose their jobs, that they are threatened by competition coming from abroad. They are also concerned about the way these people will integrate, as they are increasingly present as drivers, service workers… There will be more and more of them in the country and in Belgrade. This creates discomfort. Citizens ask whether these people will be integrated, and in what way. For this process to be successful, an adequate plan is needed, as well as intensive measures to integrate these people in some way—something I believe is currently lacking. But I emphasize that there is resistance among the local population regarding the arrival of foreign, legal labor,” Djurovic concluded.