Despite the fact that most foreign employees have moved on, Bulgarian authorities are actively working towards rectifying this situation. According to the statistics of the Ministry of Interior, close to 40% of the non-EU nationals who had managed to obtain a work permit in Bulgaria had fled to other countries within the EU. In a rather positive approach, the Bulgarian authorities are discussing new regulations regarding how to recruit workers from third-world countries to fill the gap left by the current situation.
The problem came to light through the disappearance of several seasonal workers from Sunny Beach. Most of these foreign workers were issued a work permit in Bulgaria before they moved to other regions in Europe. While such a work permit can only be used within Bulgaria, the visa allows free movement anywhere in the EU.
Apart from the problems it experiences regarding businesses and its employees, this case also has critical issues concerning the member states that are supposed to be involved.
According to the report from the previous year, over 12,000 work permits for non-EU foreign nationals were granted by Bulgaria between January 1, 2023 and November 17, 2023. In the first eleven months of the previous year, 1556 licenses with similar terms were granted. Additionally, out of all the license holders, 1,309 were from the Kyrgyz Republic and Russia, one of the largest countries.
Additional Read: EU Jobs Crisis Looms: Employers Say Job Seekers Lack Required Skills
Non-EU workers who applied for seasonal jobs in Bulgaria between January 1st and November 23rd, 2018, were 6,837 in number. These jobs were mostly for the hotel, agricultural, fishing, and forestry industries of the following countries: Bansko, Razlog, Nessebar, Golden Sands, Sunny Beach, and Albena. The majority were from the Kyrgyz Republic, with 2,033 candidates, Turkey with 1,364, and Moldova with 1,058.
Bulgaria has bilateral agreements with countries like Moldova and Israel, which help to overcome part of the labor shortage that exists in different industries, but there are still challenges regarding the retention of a significant number of these workers in the country.
As Bulgaria faces an escalating labor shortage due to the departure of 40% of foreign workers, the need for effective staffing solutions has never been more critical. At Dynamic Staffing Services, we are dedicated to bridging this gap by connecting businesses with the right talent.
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