Out of the 3.5 million new work permits issued across the European Union, Romania granted only 57,111. More importantly, according to Eurostat (dataset migr_reschst – “Change of immigration status permits by age, sex and citizenship”), which tracks residence permits issued for a change of status (for non-EU nationals already residing in the country), Romania recorded only 643 such permits in 2024, placing it around 27th in the European Union.
(For comparison: France – 200,163; Poland – 17,486; Bulgaria – 1,984.)

Before examining solutions, it is important to note that this figure illustrates Romania’s limited capacity to retain skilled human capital. Only 643 non-EU nationals, originally in Romania for studies or for employment in a specific role, managed to upgrade or transition to a more stable or higher-skilled residence status aligned with their qualifications or personal aspirations.
For instance, a 24-year-old Indian student in Cluj graduates, receives a work contract, and successfully changes his permit without interrupting his legal stay. He represents one of those 643 cases — people already residing in Romania who manage to access a more stable pathway (e.g., student → worker; seasonal → employee; family → worker).

Romania urgently needs to redesign its migrant retention policies. With an accelerated demographic decline (projected by the World Health Organization to reach 16 million inhabitants by 2050, and a 12% decrease over the next 20 years according to Eurostat), integration and long-term inclusion of non-EU workers remain the only viable long-term strategy capable of mitigating decades of reactive policymaking and demographic erosion.

Romania’s GDP remains significantly dependent on its diaspora (2.5% in 2024, according to the World Bank), while the country continues to face increasing pressure from an aging workforce and low employment rates among key age groups (only 53.40% employment for ages 55–64, and 78.80% for ages 15–24, Eurostat).

A nation strongly anchored in financial inflows from its emigrant population, yet unable to sustain an equitable pension system, paradoxically develops a heightened appetite for sovereigntist narratives. This phenomenon exposes a society increasingly willing to disregard global economic instruments in favour of a nostalgic, ideologically distorted vision of the past, often inspired by Asian-style authoritarian propaganda.

“Migration is not a tap that can be opened or closed at will. Highly publicised reception centres for migrants in EU-satellite countries have already proven to be costly and largely ineffective. Unless we develop clear pathways for integration and retention of migrants who bring added value, we will inevitably face a socially vulnerable population with weak professional skills, higher exposure to criminality, and greater susceptibility to sovereigntist rhetoric,”
said Cătălin Orezeanu, President of the European Alliance for Migration (AEMI).

Global dynamics are shifting. The eradication of poverty no longer seems a universal goal, global health programmes are being suspended, and this institutional negligence will generate new waves of migration. National policies therefore require not only alignment with EU and UN frameworks, but must also actively protect a national identity rooted in multicultural values. As uncomfortable as it may sound to narrow-minded audiences, migration from outside the EU can fill labour shortages and strengthen Romania’s international standing as a country committed to universal values and the protection of ethnic communities.

“Romania’s most valuable resource has never been oil, gas or gold — it has always been its people. And because we failed to value them, we lost them. Since then, the outflow of human capital has continued like a silent haemorrhage, leaving entire professions and generations depleted.
Recent data reflects the same inability to retain talent: Romania remains on the margins of global talent flows and continues to lose out because it has never placed people at the centre of its public policies.
While other states strengthen their human capital through active policies and invest billions in attracting talent from less developed countries, we remain trapped in a harsh reality: we export professionals and import short-term, mostly low-skilled labour.
In the short term, we have patched the gap by bringing in non-EU workers — a necessary bandage, but far from a cure.
The real solution lies in valuing human capital, making vocation a viable path for every citizen, and turning education into a long-term contract with the future. Economic trends show clearly that migration must no longer be treated rigidly, but flexibly and strategically, directed towards sectors where it brings added value — such as hospitality, construction, and agriculture.
Romania has already lost a significant part of its past through indifference. It cannot afford to lose its future through inaction,”
stated Cristina Chiriac, President of the National Confederation for Women’s Entrepreneurship (CONAF).

What can Romania do next, once austerity measures have been exhausted and fellow citizens abroad stop attending protest rallies in the UK against Romanian workers?
First, Romania must recognise the added value it needs, create an inclusive socio-economic environment, and remain aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — goals now overshadowed by global conflicts.

In short, Romania must stop chasing diluted ideological illusions detached from the reality of a species still called Homo sapiens.

Sources:

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/migr_reschange/default/table?lang=en

https://data.who.int/countries/642

https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/BX.TRF.PWKR.DT.GD.ZS?locations=RO

https://tradingeconomics.com/romania/employment-rate-from-15-to-24-years-eurostat-data.html

https://tradingeconomics.com/romania/employment-rate-from-55-to-64-years-eurostat-data.html

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php