Despite Importing 180,000 People, We Are Still Struggling

Igor Žonjo, the president of My Job portal, has recently shed light on the escalating rise in the foreign workforce, and he raised questions about our readiness to handle the imminent influx of half a million foreign workers in the coming six years, as per the current estimates.

“The situation could be manageable if we start planning and preparing from this very moment, and the preparations need to be of a top-notch quality. However, the present scenario suggests otherwise. This year alone, we have brought in 180,000 people, and our handling of the situation is far from satisfactory. The foreign workers are not given proper accommodations, and some have even been deceived. The number of such incidents may seem small, but that is primarily because most of the foreign workers are from the regional areas and are familiar with the language. The ones coming from Asia are generally peaceful. But we cannot rely on this as a long-term solution. People’s patience will eventually run thin, and if we do not make significant changes in the societal organization, we are bound to face problems,” Žonjo explained in his interview with RTL.

Žonjo also discussed potential issues that could arise in the future, such as conflicts among the foreign workers, both internally and externally.

He stated, “The root of the problem lies in dissatisfaction and frustration, which are quite prevalent in our society. We don’t need to import these issues. Instead, we should focus on providing proper accommodations for these people. Also, the issue of people leaving Croatia is a concern. If the rental prices were more affordable, the newer generations would opt for renting apartments. We have thousands of vacant apartments in Zagreb and Split. One of the potential solutions could be to impose a tax on these empty apartments.”

Žonjo further added that the outflow of people from Croatia would likely decrease if they saw the prospect of living in a rented apartment as a viable option.