The German media reports that the Western Balkans rule, facilitating labor migration from several Balkan countries to Germany, may face significant limitations under the new government.

This special regulation, allowing individuals from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia to work in Germany with just a job offer and approval from the Federal Agency for Labor and Employment, was introduced in 2015 to reduce asylum applications and provide regular access to the labor market.

While Germany needs at least 400,000 workers annually, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), likely to lead the new government, is currently in coalition negotiations. A prior negotiating document hinted at a reduction of the work visa quota under the Western Balkans rule from 50,000 to its initial 25,000 per year.

Economic expert Herbert Brücker argues that abolishing this rule would be detrimental, as migrants from the Western Balkans demonstrate strong performance in the labor market with high employment rates and minimal reliance on social assistance. Political scientist Holger Kolb, however, advocates for reducing quotas, emphasizing skills-based migration over origin-based regulations, given the improved legal frameworks for labor immigration. Kolb said that the Western Balkans rule goes against this core concept.