Germany’s Cabinet approves halving Western Balkan worker quota
The proposed cut from 50,000 to 25,000 annual admissions would start on 1 January 2027, if Germany’s Bundesrat approves it.
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Germany’s Cabinet approved the proposed reduction on 4 November 2026, DW said. The current quota permits 50,000 people a year to move to Germany for work under the Western Balkans Regulation; the Cabinet’s decision would lower it to 25,000.
The regulation offers a simplified work-migration pathway for nationals of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
Government’s rationale and next step
The government says the reduction aims to give unemployed people already in Germany priority for vacant jobs. Numerous business associations opposed the decision and warned that workers would be lost.
The change is not final. It still needs approval from the Bundesrat, the parliamentary chamber that represents Germany’s states. If approved, the lower quota would take effect on 1 January 2027.
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