500 euro salary and housing; The scheme that is bringing African workers to Albania

2025-07-20 08:56:00, Ekonomi CNA

500 euro salary and housing; The scheme that is bringing African workers to

Fatima, 28, is one of the youngest employees at the bar-restaurant "Lulishte 1 Maji", in the heart of the capital. For a few weeks, she has been employed as a cleaner, being one of two young girls who came from South Africa to work at this place. According to her, the main reason that pushed her to emigrate to Albania is the high unemployment in her country of origin.

"I feel good in Albania and I want to continue working to help my family," says Fatima, emphasizing the economic purpose of her stay.

The manager of the restaurant, Arturi, confirms that this is the first time that this business has hired foreign workers. The decision to hire foreign workers was made due to the lack of local labor, especially during the summer, when young Albanians often leave for coastal areas for seasonal work or even abroad.

However, Arturi emphasizes that he is dissatisfied with the work performance of foreign employees, describing it as a new challenge for staff management and service quality. Local bar and restaurant service businesses are among the first to follow a trend similar to many European countries, where due to high immigration and labor shortages, they are hiring workers from African countries.

The employees claimed to receive a net salary of 370 euros, while the company provides them with accommodation and food. The company has long faced difficulties in finding local workers to clean and maintain the city's public facilities, as many of the local employees have left due to the difficult work and low pay.

Call center companies are also looking to Africa for jobs. Lorenc Goga, administrator of one of the call center companies, claims that the country still continues to experience difficulties in recruiting young people, especially those who know the Italian language. Mr. Goga emphasized that he is studying the possibility of hiring foreign workers, including African countries, but making a decision is difficult, since foreigners do not know the Italian language.

In total, in 2023, the number of foreign citizens with residence permits in Albania reached 21,460, according to INSTAT data. Compared to 2022, their number increased by 18%. While the number of foreigners with residence permits for employment reasons in 2023 reached 10,360 foreigners. Compared to 2022, their number increased by about 31%./ Monitor