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Why are there no butchers in Croatia? (an example for Albania too)

2026-11-15 23:05:03Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA ENVER ROBELLI

Why are there no butchers in Croatia? (an example for Albania too)

Membership in the European Union does not necessarily stop the trend of people leaving for other EU countries. This is dramatically demonstrated by the case of Croatia. Since the country's entry into the European Union in July 2013, it is estimated that around 400,000 to 450,000 Croatian citizens have left for more developed EU countries (mainly Germany, Austria and Ireland).

According to official data from the Croatian State Statistical Office, over 370,000 emigrants were officially registered in the period 2013-2023 alone (while the 2021 population census showed a total decrease of nearly 400,000 inhabitants within a decade), but Croatian demographers and statistics from host countries (such as the German statistical office) indicate that the real figure is higher as many emigrants do not deregister their residence in Croatia.

This exodus has caused a chronic shortage of domestic labor in Croatia. It's not just waiters in Zagreb and coastal towns who are in need. The shortage of workers has also affected the meat processing sector and the famous pig slaughtering tradition in the Croatian region of Slavonia. Current capacities are failing to keep up with the increase in seasonal demand, while the remaining companies are being forced to look abroad for solutions, hiring workers from the Philippines.

This development reflects the deep crisis in the labor market in Croatia, where, according to estimates by the Croatian National Bank, there are currently around 125,000 to 130,000 foreign workers. Eurostat data ranks Croatia third in the European Union – after Malta and Cyprus – in the number of residence permits issued to non-EU citizens in relation to the number of residents, with over 95 percent of them being work permits.

Within this new wave of migration, the structure of workers from Asia is changing rapidly. For the first time, workers from the Philippines have surpassed those from Nepal, receiving about 20 thousand work permits – an increase of 42 percent. Croatian employers are preferring Filipinos not only in tourism and hospitality, but also in industry, due to their good knowledge of English and easier cultural adaptation and religious closeness (Filipinos are Catholic).

For years, Croatia has relied on labor from the region, with Kosovo continuing to remain in the top ten countries of origin for workers. However, official statistics from the Croatian Ministry of Internal Affairs show a gradual decline in the number of permits issued to Kosovo citizens. In 2023, 9,922 work permits were issued, in 2024 this number dropped to 8,139, in 2025 to 6,355, while in the period January – August 2026, 4,165 work permits were registered.

Croatian media assess that Croatia is serving as a “transit station” for workers from Kosovo. After gaining the necessary experience and documentation, a large part of them, especially after the liberalization of visas and employment facilities in Germany, leave for Germany or Austria for higher salaries. Workers from Kosovo in Croatia remain mainly concentrated in construction and gastronomy during the summer season, where they are valued for their knowledge of the language and quick adaptation.

The opening of the Croatian market to workers from Asia is also accompanied by social tensions. Sociological research in Croatia shows that local citizens display great social distance towards workers from Asia and Africa, which in some cases has escalated into physical attacks. In the city of Split, four attacks on foreign workers were recorded in 2024 and an alarming 211 percent increase in hate crimes, including a brutal attack by a group of young people on food delivery workers from India.

Beyond street incidents, the Croatian Ombudsman has warned that racism often manifests itself in the form of economic discrimination. According to institutional reports, Asian workers are often paid less than local workers for the same work, their passports are taken away and they are placed in inhumane living conditions, with 10 to 15 people to a room, which has prompted Croatian unions to demand stricter criteria and increased state controls.


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