Germany plans to halve Western Balkans worker quota from 2027
Employers and the Federal Employment Agency warn that cutting the 50,000 annual places from 2027 will deepen shortages in key sectors.
Germany's coalition government is preparing a change that would halve the annual quota for workers coming from the Western Balkans, a move that employers and the national employment agency warn could deepen labour shortages in several sectors.
The proposed cut would reduce access for migrants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia to one of the 50,000 places currently set aside each year. Critics say the measure risks undermining an established channel that supplies workers to hospitality, logistics and construction.
Employers and the employment agency sound the alarm
The Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA) has argued that halving the quota is not justified because demand for workers remains high, especially in industries where people from the Western Balkans commonly find employment. The BDA warned that even the additional public investment foreseen for the construction sector could be “frustrated” by reduced access to labour.
Vanessa Ahyja, a member of the board of the Federal Employment Agency responsible for international affairs, told reporters that the change would weaken a migration model that has so far produced a high level of labour‑market integration. "A further reduction of the quota would additionally make it harder for companies to access labour," she said.
Sandra Karstensen, a long‑time manager in the airport sector and a CDU Bundestag deputy contacted about the proposal, said the regulation should stay in place in its current form. "Given the shortage of qualified labour, the rule should be expanded rather than restricted," she said.
The quota for the so‑called Western Balkans regulation was introduced in 2016 and doubled in 2024 to 50,000. The current red–black coalition in Berlin is now considering halving it from 2027; opponents inside business groups and the employment agency say that would make recruiting more difficult for German companies.
Photo: press material from the event
