Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has taken a firm stance against visa misuse by foreign workers, revoking the work permits of 39 Pakistani nationals. The Service for Foreigners’ Affairs (SFA) revealed that these workers had exploited their BiH work visas to travel to Croatia and subsequently to other EU countries, including the Schengen Area.

Authorities have warned that they will continue to revoke work permits for those who misuse them for illegal transit. The SFA is currently investigating 14 Bangladeshi nationals as part of this ongoing operation.

This crackdown comes as BiH seeks to address labor shortages by attracting skilled workers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal. While employment opportunities exist within BiH, some migrants have used their visas to travel further into the EU.

To work in Bosnia, foreigners must first enter on valid visas and then obtain work permits through the Employment Service offices. Employers must apply for these permits on behalf of their employees. The permits are valid for one year and can be extended.

In the first half of 2023, BiH issued 3,230 work permits. The UNIDAD Employment Agency reported approximately 3,500 permits granted in the first 11 months of 2023, excluding those working in BiH without permits under specific conditions.

The number of foreign workers in BiH has doubled since 2020, although it remains significantly lower than Croatia’s 140,000. The most severe labor shortages are in manufacturing, catering, and construction, with many workers coming from Serbia, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Kuwait.