During the training on the topic “Employment of foreigners – how to efficiently implement procedures,” organized yesterday by the Association of Employers of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (UPFBiH), it was emphasized that BiH is faced with a labor shortage and that an efficient and coordinated approach to labor migration is needed.
UPFBiH organized the training in cooperation with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Security of BiH and the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs, with the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) within the project “Facilitating labor mobility in BiH through improved information sharing,” funded by the IOM Development Fund.
Deputy Head of the IOM Mission in BiH Michael O’Mahony said that it is very important to recognize that there is an increasing need in BiH to employ foreign workers and that the IOM, in coordination with its partners, recognizes the growth of this need, where demographic changes, the labor shortage, and economic challenges in business are increasing the demand for foreign workers.
Director of the UPFBiH Mario Nenadic stated that BiH currently lacks at least 30.000 workers, while the annual quota for work permits is only 7.229, which clearly indicates a gap between needs and possibilities. The issue of foreign workers in BiH should be viewed in the context of regional and even European trends in labor migration. It is certain that the issue of the labor force will be one of the key issues for the competitiveness of domestic companies in the coming period.
Head of the Operational Support Sector of the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs Rade Kovac said that choosing a reliable method for employing foreign labor – through direct contacts in countries of origin, cooperation with credible intermediaries, and avoiding high-risk markets – is crucial for efficiency and reducing abuse.
In order for BiH to respond to the increasingly pronounced labor shortage, as was emphasized, it is necessary to urgently simplify and shorten administrative procedures for the employment of foreign workers, it was stated by UPFBiH.
