Foreign labour force increases in Slovakia

The number of applications for residence permits in Slovakia submitted by foreigners recorded 37-percent year-on-year growth in January of this year, according to Ladislav Csémi, the head of the Slovak Border and Alien Police. The increase is driven by the lack of a skilled labour force on the local market. In the first month of this year the police granted 7,715 residence permits; more than double the figure from the same period of last year. The largest number was granted to Ukrainians, Serbs and Vietnamese. "We expect this trend to continue," noted Csémi.