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Ukrainian refugees have become an important part of the Slovak economy – last year alone, they paid more in taxes and contributions than the state spent on supporting them. Slovak companies are increasingly aware of the benefits of hiring foreigners. But the process is riddled with confusing bureaucracy, a lack of guidance, and limited experience with integration.

Written by Natália Silenská, Euractiv.sk

The arrival of Ukrainian refugees after the war began has not harmed Slovakia — quite the opposite. Granting temporary protection made it easier for them to access the labour market, allowing many to find work quickly and start contributing to the system.

According to a recent government analysis by the Slovak Institute for Financial Policy (IFP), Ukrainians paid more in taxes and social contributions last year than the state spent on supporting them. The IFP estimates they increased state revenues by €217 million through income tax, social contributions, and VAT.

The institute believes that Ukrainian workers could help alleviate labour shortages in certain sectors. In 2023, they accounted for nearly 40 percent of the 122,000 foreigners employed in Slovakia.

In June, the NGO Mareena, which supports foreigners in Slovakia — especially Ukrainians, highlighted both the contributions of foreign workers and the challenges companies face when employing them.

Mareena recently wrapped up a months-long initiative to support the integration of foreigners into Slovak work and social life, involving dozens of employers from across the country.

Benefits for both the workers and the employers

Discussions with employers in Bratislava, Nitra, and Košice revealed that more and more companies see the need to hire foreign workers. They are supported by research showing that companies that embrace diversity and inclusion tend to be more successful, have lower employee turnover, and enjoy higher customer satisfaction.

As Mareena’s director Katarína Levčíková notes, the benefits go both ways. A job is not only a source of income, but also a key part of helping people settle into a new environment. For many foreigners, the workplace is the first setting where they engage with local people.

“Foreign workers are an asset. But if we want to keep them, we have to understand their needs and support them not just during recruitment, but in their everyday lives,” Levčíková says.

Hopeful synergy faces multiple hurdles

Despite the potential, Slovak employers face several obstacles that complicate hiring foreigners. The most common include unclear administrative procedures, language barriers, and a lack of information about rights and opportunities.

“Government support is currently insufficient — the administrative processes are complicated, slow, and often unclear. Employers encounter different interpretations of the rules depending on the office they deal with, which creates uncertainty and slows everything down,” Mareena’s communications manager Adela Tihláriková told Euractiv.sk.

She thinks that instead of helping companies solve labour shortages, the system often creates more problems. As a result, many firms rely on recruitment agencies — a practice Mareena warns can increase the risk of labour rights abuses and leave workers more vulnerable.

Levčíková also points out that part of the problem lies with the companies themselves. Many don’t know how to approach diversity in the workplace, especially if the topic is new to them. She says they often lack guidance and don’t fully understand the needs of workers from different cultural backgrounds.

This can make it harder to retain foreign workers over the long term, as unmet expectations, cultural misunderstandings, and lack of support during adaptation can all drive them away.

What Slovakia could do

Mareena sees the most room for improvement in simplifying and clarifying administrative procedures.

“The processes should be uniformly designed, transparent, and predictable, regardless of which office the company or individual contacts. Clear and accessible communication from state institutions is key, as is strengthening the capacity of the offices that handle these agendas,” says Tihláriková.

She adds that the state could also play a more active role in supporting the employment of vulnerable groups — including refugees — through information campaigns, financial incentives, or better inter-ministerial coordination.

However, Slovak Ministry of Labor did not directly answer whether it plans to take further steps to simplify these procedures. It only pointed to a change that came into effect in July 2024, which made it easier to obtain temporary residence for work purposes.

“Third-country nationals can now start working in Slovakia as soon as they submit a complete application for temporary residence,” the ministry told Euractiv.sk. In practice, this means they no longer have to wait for the outcome of the process — provided they already have confirmation that they can fill a specific vacancy.

The ministry also did not directly respond to whether it plans to promote the hiring of vulnerable groups, including refugees. It only reiterated the current rules for employing people with temporary protection.

The crucial role of NGOs in integration

Mareena emphasizes the essential role of the non-profit sector in supporting companies. NGOs can help firms navigate complex administrative procedures, provide job counselling to foreign workers, and assist in their adaptation to a new environment.

In practice, this means offering language courses, organizing diversity-focused workshops, and sharing on-the-ground experience with employers.

The project is co-financed by the governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from the International Visegrad Fund. The mission of the fund is to advance ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.

The project is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea.