Germany plans to halve the quota for workers from Kosovo and the region
tidings
Express Newspaper
19/10/2026 19:10
About 546,000 citizens from the countries of the Western Balkans are employed in Germany with social security, while workers from Kosovo are among them.
According to the data of Federal Employment Agency in Germany, the number of employees from this region has increased by about 170 thousand during the last five years.
However, this employment pattern may change from next year. The German government intends from January 2027 to halve the annual quota for workers from the Western Balkans, from 50,000 to 25,000 people.
The Federal Employment Agency opposes this plan and demands that the current quota be maintained, on the grounds that demand for workers in Germany remains high.
“The regulation for the Western Balkans proves the high integration in the labor market and the demand for labor power”, stated Vanessa Ahuja, member of the board of the Federal Employment Agency for services and international affairs.
According to her, the current quota was not enough for all applications even during 2025, while it is expected to be exhausted during 2026, before the end of the year.
Ahuja has warned that halving the quota could weaken this migration pattern and make it harder for German companies to find workers.
Workers from the Western Balkans in sectors where there is a shortage of labor
Data from the Federal Employment Agency show that 53 percent of employees from the Western Balkans, or about 287 thousand people, work in positions that require at least the level of a skilled worker, although the regulation does not necessarily require formal qualification.
About 45 percent of this group work in occupations where there is a shortage of labor. The main sectors are construction, transport and logistics, gastronomy and personal care.
What does the regulation provide for workers from Kosovo?
The regulation for the Western Balkans, which has been in force since 2016, enables citizens of Kosovo, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia to obtain a visa for employment in Germany through simplified procedures.
It applies to various types of employment, including positions that do not require special professional qualifications.
Employment approval is done by the Federal Employment Agency, while quotas are divided by month and nationality. Applications can be considered as long as the monthly quota for the respective citizenship has not been exhausted.
If the German government’s plan is implemented, from January 2027 there will be fewer places available for workers from all countries included in this regulation, including Kosovo./Reporteri.net
