The explosion in the number of foreign workers is a trend that is becoming more and more relevant every year. There is hardly a street in Belgrade that you will pass without seeing at least one advertisement: “We are looking for a worker”, “We are looking for drivers and delivery people”, “We are looking for cashiers”. While our employers are looking for workers in Serbia and even worse, they can’t find them, in some other – less developed countries – to which Serbia is in the west, they are crying out for employment with us.
They come to Serbia to engage in crafts, construction, agriculture, service activities… Because Serbia lacks such personnel. The bad news is that the trend of hiring foreigners has grown significantly this year, even if we are talking about official data, that is, those that the National Employment Service has.
During the last year the NHS issued a total of slightly more than 35,000 work permits. This year, as of July, a little less than 30,000 summonses for work were issued. This means that the growth trend is more than obvious.
“The largest number of work permits were issued to citizens of China, Russia, Turkey, India, Cuba, North Macedonia, Ukraine, Nepal and Bosnia and Herzegovina.” As they point out, the largest number of foreign workers is engaged in the field of construction.
“These are different profiles of construction workers: masons, rebar workers, auxiliary construction workers, plasterers, carpenters, carpenters, in addition, a large number of permits were also issued to welders. Also, a large number of work permits were issued to IT experts from various areas of IT activity In addition, foreigners are employed as auxiliary workers in various branches of the economy, as well as in the service industry, in the catering and hotel industry,” says the NZS.
What do the amendments to the Law on Employment of Foreigners mean for foreign workers?
The Parliament of Serbia recently adopted amendments to the Law on Employment of Foreigners and the Law on Foreigners.
This makes it possible for foreign nationals to exercise the right to temporary residence and to work in Serbia in a single procedure, through a single verification procedure related to both the approval of temporary residence and work permits.
After that, if the legal requirements are met, a unique permit is issued. Therefore, instead of two permits, they will receive one – for residence and work.
According to the currently valid Law on Employment of Foreigners in Serbia, foreign workers can be employed if they have a regulated residence in our country or an alternative in the form of a D visa based on employment or approved temporary residence, and a work permit. As they explain further, the issuance of work permits is preceded by the procedure of regulating the residence of a foreigner.
“A work permit is issued for the period of employment of a foreigner, but not longer than the period for which the foreigner’s stay was approved. In most cases, temporary residence is approved for a period of one year, so work permits are usually issued for the same period.”
Increase in foreign workers in seasonal jobs
In addition to foreign workers who come to Serbia to work here in crafts, construction, and service activities, there are numerous foreign workers who come to work seasonally in agriculture. 50 years ago, this news would have shocked the local public. This is not the case today. The agricultural country that Serbia used to be, this year, according to the official information of NALED, brought around 600 foreigners to engage in agriculture.
“The total number of registered seasonal workers in 2023 is 22,862, which shows that the percentage of hired foreigners is small compared to Serbian citizens,” Isidora Šmigić, said coordinator for regulatory reform from NALED.
As they explain, foreign workers were almost not engaged in seasonal jobs in agriculture until 2021, after which a trend of growth in the number of applications is recorded.
“During the last two years, the number of foreigners engaged in seasonal work in agriculture does not differ greatly, however, we can state that compared to the first half of 2022, when 491 workers were engaged, this year that number has increased by 70 applications”.
They come from Uzbekistan and Egypt, but also from Nepal and India
According to her, the largest number of foreign workers came from Uzbekistan and Egypt, and in previous years workers from Nepal and India were also hired.
“Seasonal workers can also be foreign nationals whose residence in Serbia has been reported to the MUP. Given that engaging in seasonal work is work outside the employment relationship, special conditions for the employment of foreigners do not apply to them and the same conditions apply as for all other persons who are citizens of Serbia,” Šmigić said.
As he explains, the registration of foreigners’ residence is done either electronically or in the duty service of the police station on whose territory is the address of the hotel, apartment or house where the foreigner is staying, and the application is made either by persons who provide accommodation services or by persons with whom the foreigner came to visit . After registering his residence with the MUP, a foreign citizen receives an identification number for foreigners (EBS), which the employer uses to register workers on the Seasonal Workers portal.
