Due to a growing labor shortage, many employers in Serbia are increasingly turning to foreign workers, often hired through employment agencies. However, this system has raised concerns about poor working conditions and exploitation, including cases resembling debt bondage, reports Danas.rs.
President Aleksandar Vučić recently stated that 100,000 work permits were requested this year. According to Nebojša Atanacković, honorary president of the Employers’ Union, many businesses have no choice but to hire foreign workers due to the lack of local labor, especially in construction, agriculture, and hospitality, with some also employed in skilled positions.
Atanacković noted that Serbia’s demographic decline and youth emigration have deepened the shortage, with nearly half of young people planning to leave the country. Without foreign workers, he said, many companies would be forced to close.
However, experts warn that recruitment through private agencies can expose foreign workers to abuse. Mario Reljanović, head of the Center for Decent Work, explained that some unregistered agencies exploit workers by charging fees for travel and employment, forcing them into debt or even making families guarantee repayment. He described such cases as labor exploitation and potential human trafficking, though he acknowledged that not all agencies act unethically.
Duško Vuković of the Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia highlighted that both foreign and domestic workers face restrictions on union organizing, calling it a long-standing violation of labor rights. He said many workers are pressured to sign contracts prohibiting union membership, describing the practice as “anti-union, anti-state, and anti-civilizational.”
