When Croatia joined the EU in 2013, the UK and other EU member states were able to restrict the access that Croatian citizens had to their labour markets for a maximum of seven years. The UK is one of a few EU countries which applied such measures. The restrictions
have meant that, unless an exemption applied, Croatian workers needed permission from the Home Office to work in the UK. However, legally, the UK could only extend the controls for the final two years of the seven-year period if there was clear evidence that
removing the controls would lead to a serious labour market disturbance. The government has considered the evidence, and with unemployment at near record lows, employment of UK nationals at near record highs and Croatia forecast to grow strongly over the next
two years, it has concluded that the economic case for an extension cannot be made.

Therefore, the current registration requirements for Croatian workers will expire on 30 June 2018. From 1 July 2018, Croatian workers will have the same rights to work in the UK as all other EU citizens.

Since joining the EU in 2013 only a few thousand Croatians have moved to the UK. Estimates suggest there are currently below 10,000 Croatian nationals in the UK. Whilst this number may well start to increase from 1 July 2018, the impact of Brexit is likely
to limit the numbers somewhat as net migration of EU citizens to the UK has fallen in the last year by 75,000.

Source: New feed