On June 10, 2025, Ana-Maria Boromisa, PhD, and Senada Šelo Šabić, PhD, participated in the conference “We were looking for workers, people came to us: integration of foreign workers in Croatia” organized by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
The conference brought together more than 50 participants, from representatives of state institutions, trade unions, employers, civil society organizations, academia, to foreign workers themselves, with the aim of reflecting on the challenges and opportunities associated with the integration of an increasing number of foreign workers into Croatian society.
Dr. Sonja Schirmbeck, the Director of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Croatia and Slovenia, and the project coordinator Bruno Korica stressed the importance of connecting different stakeholders interested in implementing integration, emphasizing that the conference shows that there is knowledge, experience and will to build a more inclusive society. After that, Iva Tadić from the Institute for Migration and Nationalities, Sunčica Brnardić from the Croatian Association of Independent Trade Unions, Lucija Mulalić from the Center for Peace Studies, and Giovanna La Gala from the Association of Youth in the EU presented their insights on the topic of integration of foreign workers.
Other participants, including Dr. Boromisa and Dr. Šelo Šabić, later independently shaped thematic discussions focused on key challenges and needs related to integration, relying on their own experiences and areas of activity. They emphasized the need for systematic awareness raising in the public about the importance of integration as a process that requires solidarity and open dialogue.
