The number of foreign workers in Croatia is on the rise and the number of work permits issued in 2025 is likely to reach an all-time high – 68 000 work permits had already been issued by the end of April alone. Neighbours from the post-Yugoslav region are no longer ranking highest among those who have been issued permits. At the top of the foreign workforce list were citizens of Nepal (over 14,000), followed by citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina (over 12,000) and Serbia (over 8,000). September also saw the opening of the Welcome Center: One Stop Shop (Petrinjska 31, Zagreb), Croatia's first information center for foreigners. The center should provide foreign workers and displaced persons with guidance and information on how to exercise their rights and make use of services offered by the City of Zagreb.

What is also important are the recent proposals foreseen by the amendments to the Aliens Act, among which we emphasize the introduction of employment restrictions in non-shortage occupations in order for the foreign workers not to outnumber the domestic ones, the extension of residence and work permits from the current one to three years, the prohibition of employment with employers convicted of criminal offenses or serious infringements in the field of labor relations and social security, and imposing stricter accommodation standards for foreign workers.

Albeit slow and minimal, the first steps towards safeguarding the needs and rights of foreign workers are being taken through legislative action, while the Croatian public becomes versed in handling statistics on these workers through the media, but also through the stories of “excess” (primarily dealing with the degrading accommodation conditions or racist attacks on foreign workers). However, a big portion of most workers’ daily life remains unknown to us, just like their experiences of coming to this country.

These issues were discussed at a round table with Nepalese workers and Croatian unionists, hosted by the Multimedia Institute in Zagreb.

A series of questions helped to unravel the tangled web surrounding Nepalese workers coming to Croatia. To begin with, who do they contact if they want to go to Croatia? Or are they perhaps approached by recruiters who offer them to go to Croatia? How can a Nepalese worker take this initial step towards Croatia?

– From my experience, when I was thinking of working abroad, I reached out to one of my relatives who was already working here. Through that contact, I got in touch with one of the agencies that was involved in this opaque business. There is no formal agreement between Croatian and Nepalese governement regarding labor relations. The whole process is done through private agencies and it’s not transparent. Through these connections, I got the opportunity for an interview and was given the job – says Tashi, one of the workers at the round table.

– As far as I’m aware, having lived in Croatia for almost ten years, the situation has drastically changed throughout the years and more and more Nepalese are coming to work in Croatia. First, they contact the agencies. There are agencies that recruit foreign workforce both here in Croatia and in Nepal. They are in touch. Croatian agencies send requests to the agencies in Nepal. The agencies in Nepal somehow recruit people, they promote themselves among those who want to go to Europe – continues Gauri, a worker and translator.

She explains that those wanting to come to Croatia have to pay a lot to the agencies, between 7,000 and 10,000 euros. – They have to pay a huge amount of money to come to Croatia, only to work for a minimum wage once they arrive. The main problem is that they pay the agencies who fail to protect them afterwards – adds Gauri.

Tashi says that the amount paid by Nepalese workers varies, it can be six thousand, eight, etc. It all depends on the commission charged by the company or the Croatian agency to the Nepalese agency. This directly impacts the agency in Nepal. A higher commission means they need to charge the workers more. Ultimately, all the costs associated with this process are passed on to the workers.

The agencies in Nepal demand the full payment upfront in order to begin the process of job search, obtaining a work permit for the workers and traveling to Croatia.

– We are required to submit our biological data to the Nepalese agency who will only verify it. If we are selected, they will conduct an interview with us. After the interview, they demand a scanned copy of our passport. We are also required to obtain a police clearance certificate issued by our police department. The certificate then needs to be verified by the embassy which takes a long time, often more than three months. Once the employer recieves the work permit, the workers are informed that the permit has been issued and then we get an appointment to submit our visa at the embassy – Tashi clarifies the process.

The visa can be obtained in Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital city, or it can be processed at the Nepalese or Croatian embassies in neighboring India, which is what some Nepalese and Bangladeshi workers opt for.

– It is very difficult to get an appointment in Nepal. The waiting time is long. It was very complicated in my case because my work permit was about to expire and I didn’t have a lot of time. That’s why I went to India to have my visa stamped. So, this was an additional expense – says Tashi.

There is a growing workload in the offices that handle such requests in India as more and more workers want to go to Europe. All these visa applications are in fact being processed through VFS, a global outsourcing company specializing in visa and passport administration.

– Another issue is that many people don’t even have a job when they come to Croatia. They have somehow obtained a work permit, but they haven’t actually secured a job here. They might be out of work for three or four months, without any income. They are waiting for the Croatian agency to find them a job – Gauri explains.

Tashi adds that Nepalese workers can be offered two types of contracts. They can either sign a direct contract with the Croatian company they will be working for, or they can sign a contract issued by a Croatian agency. The majority of foreign workers in Croatia find jobs through temporary employment agencies or placement agencies, the number of which has tripled since 2021 (when foreign worker quotas were abolished) and hasn’t stopped growing ever since.

According to the Ministry of Labour and Pension System, in 2024 there were over 800 registered temporary employment agencies operating as aggregators. These agencies provide workers to other employers for short-term assignments and manage their payroll, benefits and other paperwork. Additionally, more than 700 placement agencies have been registered with the Ministry, specializing in finding workers for employers to hire directly. Agencies are permitted to offer third-country nationals minimum wage, without taking a commission on their earnings. They can then place these workers with local employers at a higher wage, pocketing the difference.

– If you're lucky, you will be hired directly by the company and sign the contract with an actual employer. Otherwise, you will be hired by an agency, which may result in a difference between the salary stated in the contract and actual earnings, the realization that they will not be the same, issues with accommodation, etc. In fact, people who are eager to come to Croatia often don’t know who they will be working for, they can’t differentiate between an agency and a company, i.e. a real employer. After arriving here, they often don't discover until several months into their job that they are in fact working for an agency – explains Tashi.

He indicates that he had been lucky to have signed a contract directly with the company in Croatia. The Nepalese agency organized the transportation to Croatia and his employer arranged the accommodation.

– If you’re hired directly by the company, you will receive regular company-provided housing which is generally in good condition. But if you’re hired through an agency, you might end up in a temporary, unplanned accommodation. I’ve heard stories from people about how bad it is, saying that there are a lot of false promises. They are being asked to be patient and wait for better accommodation – says Tashi.

Before coming to Croatia, he didn’t receive much information about his future employer. He didn’t know exactly which company it would be and everything was kept “under wraps”.

– Once I had my work permit, I tried to do some research on the company to see its status, what it was like, what it could provide me, etc. They don't give you this information, you're pretty much on your own when it comes to finding out about your employer, if there’s even a way to do so – reports Tashi.

In line with the previous point, Gauri expresses concern over the increasing number of new work permits issued for Nepalese workers, despite existing unemployment among this group in Croatia.

– Why do they keep issuing new work permits instead of using the available workforce that is already in Croatia? Is the real goal here to ensure that the Nepalese agencies continue paying money to Croatian agencies to bring Nepalese workers here, just to keep the money flowing? – she wonders.

Each work permit brings profit to the Croatian agency and they can't make money the same way from workers already here.

There are agencies for temporary employment and agencies that work as intermediaries. Previously, workers mostly used to be directly hired by employers. However, Nepalese workers would then often quit to find better opportunities and better jobs. The employer has now reduced this risk by hiring agencies or establishing their own recruitment agencies. Agencies, in turn, have seen a growing demand and profit potential which made them maintain a larger pool of workers ready just in case employers need them. And the consequences are what we hear about today: people come here and have no job because a job is not guaranteed. They work for an agency but the agency hasn’t got a job for them.

All participants highlighted that any issue or change in the process of bringing Nepalese workers to Croatia ultimately falls on the shoulders of the workers themselves. While agencies and/or employers, both Croatian and Nepalese, regularly charge for their services and earn promptly, the workers are being underpaid, asked to wait and forced into debt.