Foreign Workers Become ‘Modern Slaves’, Croatia Risks Security

Migrations are perhaps the most sensitive point of Croatia’s future today: while we want the return of those who have left due to population loss, at the same time we see protests against foreign workers on the streets. Statistics show the balance, but not who is actually returning, why young people are leaving, and how doctors, engineers, or scholarship holders from South America are lost in Croatian bureaucracy. In an interview with Lider, the director of the Institute for Migration Marina Perić Kaselj reveals which measures have truly helped returnees, where the system fails, why the integration of foreign workers is becoming a security issue, and, crucially, whether Croatia can finally turn its diaspora into a developmental force.

The State Bureau of Statistics regularly publishes data on migrations, but we know nothing about the age structure of emigrants and returnees. Do we have such data?

– We do not. More precisely, we know the migration balance, but we do not have accurate data on returnees and new emigrants. Therefore, we continuously map emigration and return and conduct qualitative analyses in the field. We still do not sufficiently recognize the diaspora as one of our strongest global strengths, and therefore we must strategically, not declaratively, focus on return. Since 2023, we have been conducting research on ‘Measures for the Immigration, Employment, and Integration of Returnees and Descendants of Croatian Emigrants’. We started with South America. The project was funded by the Central State Office for Croats Abroad and was conducted in collaboration with the University of North and the Croatian Chamber of Economy. We identified four key groups: students, workers, investors, and retirees. All these groups are equally important for the development of return policy.

What do the data from your mappings and fieldwork show?

– As a case study, we first took Biograd na Moru, and then we continued to map return in the Split-Dalmatia County, where we noticed many returnees. There, we conducted a series of interviews, primarily with members of the second generation, for example, those whose parents still live in Australia. It is estimated that there are about 250 families. They emphasize that the quality of life in Croatia is significantly better and mostly start their own businesses. Entrepreneurially oriented returnees find it easier to navigate despite administrative obstacles. When we talk about returnees, their investments are often highlighted, but their soft skills, i.e., knowledge, international experience, and language skills, are equally important. In addition, more and more wealthy retirees are coming to our islands. For example, in Zadar County, retirees from the USA are looking to create communities modeled after Florida. Several have already expressed interest in hiring a manager to lead such a community with organized commerce, health services, and other amenities.

What is the potential for the return of emigrants from South America and their descendants?

– The potential for the return of emigrants from South America and their descendants is extremely large and is primarily based on the strong emotional capital that connects those communities with Croatia. Some have already settled, but in official statistics, this often remains invisible because they are registered as foreigners. Interestingly, it is not only the children and grandchildren of our emigrants who are interested in returning, but increasingly also great-grandchildren. We are already recording concrete interest from Argentina, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Paraguay, and many come with entire families. One of the most successful ways to attract emigrants has proven to be scholarships for learning the Croatian language.

While there were initially only about a hundred scholarships, today there are around five hundred, and a large portion of the scholarship holders comes from South America. It is estimated that at least a third of them remain living in Croatia after completing the program. This clearly shows that such measures are effective and should be further developed. However, the problem arises in implementation. For example, scholarship holders are not allowed to work during their stay, which complicates language learning and integration. If they were allowed work experience, the chances of permanent stay would be significantly higher. In practice, there are also other challenges.

Two highly educated engineers from Bolivia, although they did not have Croatian roots, wanted to stay in Croatia, but this was not legally possible for them. Returnee doctors from South America have not been able to have their diplomas recognized in Croatia, while the same process was completed without problems in Germany. Thus, we lose the opportunity to attract people who bring not only knowledge and professional skills but also strong emotional capital. This combination could be a powerful engine for Croatia’s development, but only if we learn to recognize and remove the obstacles that currently stop them.

Who makes sense to specifically invite back today? What do your research findings show about current return trends?

– The pandemic has, unexpectedly, prompted the return of entire families. However, the integration of children has proven to be a serious challenge. For example, returnee children have the right to only eighty hours of Croatian language learning, while asylum seekers have two hundred. As a result, many children have not been able to adapt to the school system, which in some cases has resulted in entire families leaving for abroad again. It is considered most reasonable to target the return of those who emigrated ten or fifteen years ago. In the field, we see that people from Ireland and Germany are now returning spontaneously. We are also recording more and more families returning due to identity and a sense of security. The process is multi-layered. Some families that left ten or fifteen years ago decide to stay abroad, some young people from Ireland are returning to Croatia, and other and third generations from Western Europe, Australia, and South America are also coming.

What measures have proven effective in attracting returnees?

– Every measure to attract returnees must be systematically evaluated so that it can be improved or, if ineffective, abolished. For example, tax incentives have proven to be a double-edged sword: some returnees say that it creates a feeling of discrimination and that they actually do not need such a measure. On the other hand, incentives under the ‘I Choose Croatia’ measure amounting to 27,000 euros have proven to be good, but returnees emphasize that the implementation period is too short and that the measure should be extended. The scholarship for learning the Croatian language has also proven to be very successful. It would be beneficial to introduce the possibility for returnees to work in Croatia during and after completing the program. In general, every new measure should first go through a trial phase to test its effectiveness in practice, and only then be expanded at the national level.

What else should change in attracting people to Croatia?

– Croatia should implement a selective migration policy and specifically encourage return through concrete measures. Return does not have to be massive; sometimes knowledge exchange, mentorship, or investments are sufficient. An example of this is the project we are conducting with the Penkala association, in which we map highly educated Croats and their descendants around the world. This network should become a base for knowledge exchange, mentorship, and development initiatives. Let us remember that more than ten percent of highly educated citizens have emigrated from Croatia. To bring at least some of them back, it is necessary to create preconditions and opportunities for their professional development.

Experts may not be able to fully realize themselves in a small country like Croatia, but they can contribute from abroad. On the other hand, there is a group of people who could actually return, especially in deficit professions. Planning and selection are key. A good practice example is Slovenia, which organizes preparatory camps in the Philippines before hiring nurses – several months of education, language learning, and Slovenian history and culture before arriving in the country, which significantly facilitates integration. For Croatia, it would also be important to enable faster acquisition of citizenship specifically for people in deficit professions. In the medium term, a realistic strategy would be the return of ten to fifteen thousand people per year.

On the other hand, we need to reduce the emigration of young people. How?

– Our research has shown that more than half of young people between the ages of eighteen and thirty are considering leaving Croatia. Although economic reasons play a significant role, they are not the only ones. It is crucial to create a clearer perspective: opportunities for internships after university, transparent public competitions in the public administration, and better working conditions with private employers. Emigration cannot be completely stopped, and it can sometimes be beneficial because circular migrations often bring new knowledge and experiences. However, the problem is that our educational system, which is free, largely benefits the West – wealthy countries specifically attract our STEM graduates. Therefore, it should be considered to implement models, or obligations, whereby after completing their education, young people should work in Croatia for a certain number of years. This way, we would retain skilled workers at least at the beginning of their careers and simultaneously increase the chances that they will stay long-term.

There are increasing tensions due to the import of foreign labor. We recently had a protest against it…

– Public concern is growing regarding the import of foreign labor, and part of the dissatisfaction arises from fear of the unknown. Citizens are further frustrated when they cannot communicate in Croatian in service industries. The problem is also that foreign workers are often ghettoized. Integration is therefore necessary and must be systematically monitored, and for that, we need serious research on the quality of life of foreign workers. Examples from several locations in Croatia where the share of foreign workers is high show that employers value them because they do not ask for days off, sick leave, and work on holidays.

However, such conditions actually turn them into a kind of modern slaves. These are short-term solutions that currently only put out fires while the local population disappears and becomes increasingly dissatisfied. If this trend continues, Croatia will continually bring in new foreign labor that does not stay here long-term. Money thus leaves the country, and the local population weakens further. Foreign workers in such a system are doomed to failure from the start. If we do not control their entry and simultaneously ghettoize them, tensions will only deepen over time, and we risk our own security.

What is the solution?

– For foreign workers, the first step should be learning the Croatian language. However, here, language learning vouchers for these workers only become available after a year, unless the employer decides otherwise, which is too late. Research shows that most foreign workers want to stay permanently in Croatia and bring their families. If we truly aim for such a workforce, and among them are highly educated individuals, learning the Croatian language must be made available at the national level. A key measure that should be introduced is the establishment of a unique digital platform for foreigners and returnees.

The Ministry of the Interior issues about two hundred thousand permits per year, but that does not mean that all these workers are actually here. Some work illegally, and some have already crossed the border. Without a centralized database that obliges employers to provide data, it is impossible to track how many remain and adjust migration policy accordingly. It is necessary to network the Ministry of the Interior, the Tax Administration, the Croatian Science Foundation, the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute, and the State Bureau of Statistics. The focus must shift to long-term solutions. It is understandable that we had to patch certain sectors in the short term, but now the state must take control. This means implementing a selective migration policy and simultaneously systematically strengthening return measures. If we do not do this, we risk losing the demographic battle.