Croatia has largely been spared the terrible refugee crisis from the Middle East, but is that about to change. A look at some numbers and why Croatia has so far been spared.
With the tragic increase in waves of refugees trying to enter the EU from war-torn countries such as Syria and Afghanistan, preparedness to deal with the influx is becoming a national discussion point.
Croatia has so far been shielded from the main immigration problem facing front-line member states such as Greece and Italy, a fact born out by figures by EuroStat, which noted that a total of 450 asylum applications were submitted in Croatia in 2014, far few than Italy with 64,625 and Hungary with 42,775.
According to a report in Al-Jazeera earlier this year, even more of these Croatian applications did not result in residence in the country:
“Furthermore, more than 80 percent of asylum applicants in Croatia in recent years left the country before their applications were processed, according to UN’s refugee agency.”
The report claimed that there were two main reasons why Croatia was not a preferred destination for those looking to escape the horrors back home:
“The first is the homogeneity of Croatian society. Sanja Pupacic of the Croatia Red Cross said 90 percent of the 4.5 million people living here are ethnic Croats, and about 86 percent define themselves as Roman Catholic.
“Pupacic constantly meets asylum seekers who want to leave Croatia for more diverse European destinations – mostly Germany or Sweden – because there they can find contacts or friends who would make it easier to fit in.
“In these countries, there are many migrants and many migrant communities, so the asylum seekers feel more safe,” said Pupacic. “It is a bit easier for them to integrate.”
“The second factor dissuading migrants, Pupacic said, is Croatia’s dire economic conditions. The country has had negative or stagnant economic growth since 2009.”
Recent events are dictating the need for a radical rethink of Croatia’s position and capacity for immigration. Just last month, it was announced that Croatia would process 550 asylum seekers over the next two years, of whom just 150 would be permanently settled.
Those numbers are looking laughable in light of the sudden escalation of migrants on the move, even more so as Hungary’s plan to build a 175km fence on its borders is expected to push many south through Croatia.
Croatia of course has experience of coping with thousands of displaced persons as a result of the recent regional conflict, and discussions are now taking place about the responsibilities and practical options, with the city of Pula, for example, asking for opinions on the proposed using of miltary buildings, on its Facebook page:
“Former military buildings in Pula were today mentioned as a possible first option to accommodate the upcoming wave of immigrants. We ask you for your opinion on this great humanitarian crisis that continues to grow each week.”
The immigration issue is one that will not go away, and in an election year, expect it to become a hot political topic.
