Croatia is one of the European Union member states that has been attracting large numbers of foreign workers due to its ongoing labour shortages across different sectors throughout the country.
While foreign workers have had a significant impact on the Croatian economy, visa and work permit misuse have been recorded, pushing the authorities to implement tougher measures, Schengen.News reports.
As the Minister of Interior of Croatia Davor Božinović revealed, stricter checks are now in place during the visa application stage for foreign nationals wanting to reach the country for work purposes.
During an interview for the Bobu Bob podcast, Minister Božinović explained that the Croatian authorities have been registering multiple cases of foreign workers obtaining a visa and a permit but not showing up, suggesting that they are misusing the documents issued by the Croatian authorities.
Croatian Employers Also Face Tightened Rules When Hiring Foreign Workers
According to Minister Božinović, in addition to foreign workers, some Croatian employers have also been abusing the visa and work permit system by redirecting foreign workers into gig economy roles, Croatia Week notes.
To put an end to visa and permit misuse by both foreign workers and Croatian employers, tougher rules will now apply.
As Večernji list explains, Minister Božinović said that the Aliens Act has been updated with more stringent rules and noted that employers must provide a financial guarantee when applying for work permits for foreign workers.
So we also made things more stringent when applying for a visa to enter Croatia, but we made it more stringent with this law in such a way that, if the employer does not take over the person for whom he requested and received a permit, he must provide a blank promissory note when submitting the application and it is kept in the Ministry of the Interior.
Tightened Criteria for Intermediary Agencies, Too
Minister Božinović further disclosed that the authorities have also decided to increase the requirements for intermediary agencies bringing foreign workers to Croatia.
By tightening the requirements for these agencies, the Croatian authorities want to ensure that they have a legitimate track record and employ Croatian or EU workers before hiring foreign workers.
As Minister Božinović explained, under the new rules, only around 20 per cent of these agencies will survive.
Additionally, measures have also been taken to crackdown on fraudulent agencies. Eight of them have already lost their licences due to irregularities.