Germany’s new government intends to decrease immigration from the Western Balkans by half, setting a new annual limit of 25,000 people under the Western Balkans Rule. This agreement was presented by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Christian Social Union (CSU), and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) in Berlin.

The Western Balkans Rule, implemented in early 2016, allows workers from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia to immigrate to Germany for employment. This rule was established after these countries were designated as safe, restricting asylum claims from their citizens in Germany.

This regulation simplifies immigration for those with German job offers. Unlike other labor immigration pathways for non-EU citizens, the Western Balkans Rule does not necessitate specific qualifications, requiring only an employment contract with a German employer.

The previous government had doubled the quota to 50,000 work permits annually. By the end of last year, approximately 79,500 people had immigrated to Germany under this rule, primarily from Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

While the Western Balkans Rule is being reduced, citizens from these six countries can still immigrate to Germany through other skilled worker programs. Historically, a significant hurdle for obtaining work visas has been the limited capacity of German consular offices, which led to appointment wait times exceeding a year.