Serbia to issue 100,000 work permits – Ghana wants to send over its young

Ghana is in advanced discussions with the Republic of Serbia to secure a portion of 100,000 work permits the European country plans to issue this year, Ghanaian media report. This forms part of a proposed labor mobility agreement aimed at creating job opportunities for young
Ghanaians and deepening bilateral ties, writes the Ghana News Agency.

The announcement was made during a joint press briefing in Accra by Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and Serbia’s Foreign Minister, Marko Djuric, who is on a three-day official visit to Ghana.

The Labor Mobility Agreement aligns with Ghana’s broader employment strategy and the push for international opportunities for the country’s growing educated youth population.

GNA also writes that it also supports Serbia’s efforts to maintain productivity and economic growth by addressing the human resource gap left by its declining birth rate and shrinking workforce.

The Serbian minister’s visit, which includes meetings with the Speaker of Parliament and the Ministers of Agriculture, Defense, Youth and Sports, and Tourism, is a major milestone in the growing Ghana-Serbia partnership. The two sides are expected to formalize several agreements in the coming months, including the labor mobility MoU.

Ablakwa noted that the discussions were timely and strategic, given Ghana’s youthful population and the high demand for skilled and semi-skilled labor in Serbia, which is currently grappling with an ageing workforce.

– Serbia has an ageing population and will require a labor-mobility agreement, taking full advantage of Ghana’s very young population – he said.

– The Honorable Foreign Minister has indicated that this year, Serbia plans to grant 100,000 work permits, and Ghana has expressed interest in taking full advantage of that so that we can have thousands of our young people work in Serbia – he added.

He added that Ghana was eager to be the second African country, after Egypt, to formalize a labor mobility agreement with Serbia. The Labor Mobility Agreement is expected to cover sectors such as construction, healthcare, ICT, agriculture, and services, industries that are in growing need of young, energetic and skilled labor in Serbia and the surrounding region.

Ghana’s foreign minister underscored the mutual benefits of the deal, stating that it would help reduce unemployment in Ghana while meeting Serbia’s labor needs. Beyond labor mobility, the two countries are also exploring cooperation in education, with Serbia offering scholarships to Ghanaian students under the “World in Serbia” initiative.

Ministarstvo spoljnih poslova Republike Srbije

Marko Đurić

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa

work permits in Serbia