Germany halves annual quota for Western Balkans workers from 2027
Berlin will cut the annual preferential quota for Western Balkans workers from 50,000 to 25,000, a move criticised by employers and several federal states.
The German government has approved a regulation that will halve the annual quota for workers from the Western Balkans, cutting it from 50,000 to 25,000 with effect from 1 January 2027. The measure was adopted at a cabinet meeting and now needs confirmation by the Bundesrat, the upper house where Germany's federal states are represented.
Business groups and several states warn of staff shortages
The decision has drawn sharp criticism from a range of industry associations — notably construction, hospitality and logistics — as well as from umbrella organisations representing carers of the sick and dependent. Seven federal states oppose the move, including Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony and Hesse.
The Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA) also attacked the labour ministry's proposal, urging that the quota should not be halved and instead be removed entirely. The BDA warned that many outstanding applications would have to be rejected from 1 January 2027, leaving numerous vacancies unfilled.
The Federal Employment Agency similarly criticised the plan. In October the agency reported that more than one million people from the Western Balkans are already employed in Germany and regularly pay social contributions. Of those, 53% work as skilled or highly skilled employees, and about half are employed in occupations for which there is insufficient domestic labour supply.
The cut in the preferential annual quota for Western Balkans workers is included in the post‑election coalition agreement between the governing Christian Democratic parties (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD). The initiative — driven by the conservative CDU — is intended to prioritise filling open positions with unemployed residents of Germany.
Photo: press material from the event
