While many people love a good old moan about the state of things in Croatia over a three hour long coffee, usually while seated in a cafe with typically strange interior design – some are more than happy with the conditions and their wages. Nepalese workers in Croatia are just some of the third country nationals for whom Croatia has eased the process of obtaining a work permit.
While nationals from the EEA and British citizens lawfully resident in Croatia are entitled to take up any sort of work or self employment without the need for a work permit, on the same basis as a Croatian citizen, third country nationals, either from Europe, such as Ukrainians and Macedonians, and those from far beyond Europe’s borders, have historically struggled with the infamous Croatian red tape.
Given the fact that the Croatian demographic crisis has shaken the economy and is continuing to threaten it, the government decided to relax procedures for hiring third country nationals and will even abolish the notorious and often confusing quota system.
As Novac writes on the 22nd of February, 2020, Nepalese workers in Croatia are more than happy with their work.
”In my country, I’d get half the money for doing the same job. What pays around 1,000 euros in Croatia pay 500 there,” explained Diwakar Bogati (which is an ironic surname in this case if you understand Croatian!), a 23-year-old Nepalese worker who works as a tomato picker in Sveta Nedelja near Zagreb.
While the salaries and working conditions offered by Croatian employers seem less and less attractive to Croats, who now have the whole of the EU as their proverbial oyster, a large number of foreigners, such as Nepalese workers in Croatia, are more than satisfied with the conditions they’re offered here.
Ismet Iusufic, a construction worker who moved from Kosovo for better pay in Croatia, also shared his views on the situation.
”My salary here is higher by 500 to 600 euros, and I plan to stay in Croatia until retirement,” Ismet pointed out.
According to Dnevnik.hr, despite the fact that the Institute currently has as many as 130,000 unemployed people ”on its books”, employers still somehow can’t manage to find waiters, shop workers, cooks, cleaners, drivers and locksmiths, all of which are currently the most wanted occupations.
”The problem is that they’re mostly people who dropped out of the labour market ages ago. These are long-term unemployed people who don’t have the qualifications and or meet the conditions required on the labour market today,” explained Amira Ribic of the Croatian Employers Association (HUP).
It is for this reason that they are increasingly reaching out to foreign workers. This year alone, Croatian companies will be able to hire over 103,000 foreigners.
”I think the biggest problem is that Croats no longer want to work only during the summer season. They’re looking for long-term contracts that in most places they cannot get,” says Irfan Sefulaj, who works in the hospitality industry.
Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for more.
