An overview on the latest developments from the Croatian media.
First refugees which Croatian authorities transferred to Hungary have arrived during the night to the Austrian border crossing Heiligenkreuz in Burgenland. In total, about 5,000 thousand refugees have left Croatia. During the day, authorities expect thousands of refugees at the Nickelsdorf border crossing as well, reports Index.hr on September 19, 2015.
Meanwhile, the migrants continue to arrive in Tovarnik in Croatia, from where they are being transported by buses and trains. Migrants are entering Croatia in groups through fields, and police is trying to collect them and transport them to the town itself where they are awaiting further transport. There are no official records of how many migrants entered Croatia from Serbia through Tovarnik during the night and early morning. During Friday, the area of Tovarnik and Ilok received a little more than 3500 people.
Croatian prime minister Milanović is visiting Beli Manastir in Eastern Croatia. “There was no agreement with Hungary. We have forced them to receive refugees. We just sent them the people, and we will continue to do that”, said Milanović to reporters. “The problem is in Greece and Turkey. About 75-80 percent of all migrants pass through the Greek islands. The EU has to prevent that”, he added. In Beli Manastir, Milanović spoke with the Red Cross officials.
Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović visited the area yesterday evening. She said that the situation on the ground was worse than previously thought and expressed her opinion that it will be inevitable to involve the Croatian Army as well.
“I call on the prime minister to come to the area of Tovarnik, to see what the situation is, to take further measures to stabilize the situation, because we cannot absorb the increasing number of migrants in this area until the issue of their transit is resolved. In the next two days, we expect the arrival of some 40,000 people”, said the Croatian president in Vinkovci.
“Thousands of refugees are coming, in Tovarnik there are ten times more migrants than the local inhabitants”, said Grabar-Kitarović. The president believes that it is inevitable to involve the Croatian Army and stressed that the army should not be deployed just along the border, but in the whole area. “We really want to help everyone, above all we want to protect citizens, provide them normal life, but also ensure the stability of the Croatian state”, said the president.
President of the European Commission Jean Claude Juncker had a telephone conversation last night with the Croatian prime minister Zoran Milanović about the refugee crisis and the challenges facing the Croatian government and the European Union, and offered technical and logistical support. Juncker and Milanović reviewed the refugee crisis and in particular discussed the challenges that lie ahead of the Croatian government and the European Union as a whole.
Juncker has confirmed his personal support and offered technical and logistical support from the European Union to Croatian Prime Minister regarding the current situation. They agreed that the refugees are seeking protection from war, terror and oppression and that the states should act in accordance with the European common values. They also pointed out the need for all member states to comply with European law.
