Since full freedom of movement is in force in most EU countries, many Croatian citizens have used that opportunity to look for work in other EU countries, and in 2015, 28,268 Croatians left the country, most of them emigrating to Germany.
Over the past ten years, more than 110,000 Croatians have emigrated from the country, and since the start of the economic crisis in 2009 alone, more than 80,000 have done so. Close to 40% of the emigrants see Germany as a promised land and in the last five years the number of Croatian workers in Germany has increased by 45.8%, according to statistics presented at a panel discussion held as part of the presentation of the brochure.
Contrary to what is generally believed, unemployment is not the main reason for emigration, it is only the third most cited reason, the first two being inadequate salary (80%) and work conditions (31%). Many young people leave as soon as they complete their education and before they even register with the employment service.
However, Western European countries are not free of worker exploitation either, and that refers also to workers from Croatia. The Friedrich Ebert Foundation has therefore published a brochure on labour and social rights for workers from Eastern Europe seeking employment in Western Europe and encountering problems such as the non-payment of salaries, dismissal while on sick leave, etc.
We want to provide assistance to those workers and help them, said Dominique John, head of the German DGB trade union federation's project "Fair Mobility".
The brochure has been printed in some 15,000 copies, of which 8,000-10,000 will be distributed in Croatia and the rest in Germany.
The brochure was written by the DGB and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in cooperation with the German branch of the Croatian World Congress, the Croatian expatriate association.
Ana Milicevic Pezelj of the SSSH said that there still existed barriers to the employment of Croatian workers in five EU countries - Austria, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Slovenia and Malta.