ZAGREB, February 9, 2018) – Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović on Friday commented on Ombudswoman Lora Vidović’s criticism that Croatian police worked more on protecting the border than protecting the lives of people trying to cross it, saying that Croatian police were implementing the Croatian constitution and laws and European policy on borders.
It is the EU’s policy that the movement of migrants should be controlled, that there should be no illegal migrations and that migrations should be sustainable, Božinović told reporters after a conference on EU-assisted mine removal.
He said that 81 migrants had been relocated to Croatia from Greece and Italy and that 76 Syrian refugees had been resettled from Turkey to Croatia and that these processes were being conducted in line with relevant laws and EU recommendations.
“That means that the state must provide employment and accommodation for those people and ensure day care and education for their children. That job is much more serious than some may think,” Božinović said, recalling that Croatia did not put up any walls or fences on its borders and was implementing a pro-European policy of controlled management of that global phenomenon.
Croatia is pursuing a policy of solidarity with those EU countries that are most affected, primarily Greece and Italy, he said, noting that Croatia would not have received positive evaluations in that regard if that were not so.
