Germany has significantly increased the number of work permits granted to migrants from the Western Balkans, particularly Kosovo, as a result of the successful implementation of the Western Balkans Regulation. From June to November 2024, German authorities issued 25,000 work permits to workers from Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro – the same amount as the entire previous year.
The expansion of the Western Balkans Regulation by the German government in June 2024 has led to a doubling of the number of workers from the region migrating to Germany. According to reports, the majority of these migrant workers came from Kosovo (5,564) and Serbia (4,239).
The data was released in response to a request from the liberal party and confirms the regulation’s success. The Western Balkans Regulation, first introduced by the German government in 2016, was designed to reduce the number of asylum applications from countries in the region by facilitating legal migration for work purposes.
Konstantin Kuhle, Vice President of the liberal party, described the regulation as a “complete success” and called for even greater expansion of the program. He emphasized that the purpose of the regulation is to reduce irregular migration and asylum claims by easing access to the German labor market.
This regulation allows citizens from the Western Balkans to apply for a work visa in Germany regardless of their qualifications, provided they have a concrete job offer or employment contract. The liberal party is advocating for the continuation and expansion of this program to not only benefit the Western Balkans but also other countries in need of labor migration to Germany.
