New survey on foreign workers in Croatia published

ZAGREB, 15 Feb (Hina) – A survey by the Institute for Migration Research, published on Thursday, found relatively high levels of life and job satisfaction among foreign workers in the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County, but highlighted significant challenges in social integration, sense of belonging and experiences of discrimination.

The face-to-face survey, conducted from 5 to 17 December, covered 429 workers from Asia and Africa.

“Migration, particularly the arrival of foreign workers, is one of the key issues polarising the Croatian public,” said the Institute’s director Marina Perić Kaselj.

“Through systematic research, the Institute contributes to informing the public and shaping public policy. We hope our findings will support constructive public debate and policies that foster stronger integration and economic development.”

The largest share of respondents come from Nepal, the Philippines and India, with others from Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Egypt, Syria and several other countries.

More than 81% of those surveyed are men, most commonly aged between 25 and 39.

More than half have no children, around 43% are married and over 81% provide financial support to family members outside Croatia. Educational backgrounds vary widely, ranging from primary school education to higher education qualifications.

According to the findings, 49.7% of respondents have lived in Croatia between one and two years, while 23.1% have been in the country less than a year. As many as 84.1% are employed full-time.

By sector, 28% work in transport, 18.4% in hospitality, 17.5% in construction and 16.8% in industry. More than half (52.2%) were hired through employment agencies and 55% are on fixed-term contracts.

Asked about future plans, 32.6% said they intended to remain in Croatia between six and 10 years, 30.5% for up to five years, 19.3% until retirement and 14.2% for life. Some 78% said they would come to Croatia again.

Most respondents said their quality of life had improved since arriving, with 45.9% citing a slight and 32.4% a significant improvement. Only 7% reported a deterioration.

On a 0-10 scale, 49.1% rated their overall life satisfaction between 6 and 8. Similar patterns were recorded for satisfaction with living standards (34.9%), health (40.1%), personal relationships (38.2%) and sense of security (39.7%).

The survey found that 88.3% of foreign workers believe they deserve equal rights to a decent quality of life as local residents.

Despite relatively high satisfaction levels, indicators of social integration point to difficulties. Some 40% said they had no close Croatian friends, 24% never take part in local events and 32.6% do so rarely.

Around 40% said they generally do not feel, or do not feel at all, that they belong to Croatian society, while 53.8% feel a strong connection to migrants from their country of origin.

As many as 70% said they had sometimes felt discriminated against and 10.7% said they felt discriminated against constantly. The Institute noted that “sometimes” may cover a range of experiences, from isolated incidents to more systemic issues.

In addition, 63.7% gave low scores (0–4) to the statement that they enjoy equal standing with local workers, particularly in terms of pay and career advancement.

However, 54.3% disagreed that police had treated them unfairly, giving scores of 0–2 on a 0–10 scale.

The survey also showed that 28.7% have a general practitioner, 24.5% are seeking one and 19.3% lack health insurance, which the Institute said may be linked to the administrative and employment status of some respondents.

When in need of assistance, 40.8% turn first to their employer, while 25.2% rely on fellow migrants, underscoring the importance of informal support networks.

Ivan Balabanić, who led the research, said a survey conducted among Croatian citizens a few months ago found that around 20% expressed strong dissatisfaction and about 45% partial dissatisfaction with the presence of workers from Asia and Africa.

By contrast, the latest findings show that foreign workers are largely satisfied with their decision to come to Croatia and with how they are treated.

“Foreign workers largely shape their perception of life in Croatia through workplace relations, where they interact daily with local colleagues,” Balabanić said. “When local residents establish direct contact with foreign workers, they often quickly realise there is nothing threatening about them. Unfortunately, foreign workers remain a major unknown for much of Croatian society, especially for those without daily contact.”

Integration is a two-way process, he added, requiring both the local population and foreign workers to accept each other’s values and culture. The findings provide scope for rethinking integration policies and public communication, he concluded.