Croatia Introduces Stricter Controls on Its Eastern Borders

Stricter border controls in eastern Croatia, as the politics of the migrant crisis hots up.

Croatian Interior Minister Ranko Ostojić said that the flow of refugees through Croatia is running smoothly and that there are no problems with regards to blocking economic migrants who constitute only 1.6 percent of the total number of persons. From midnight to 9 pm on Monday, 5,184 refugees entered Croatia. In the winter reception centre in Slavonski Brod, there are currently 3,165 refugees. Since the beginning of the refugee crisis, 438,785 migrants and refugees have passed through Croatia, reports Index.hr and Vecernji List on November 24, 2015.

The minister explained why Croatia strengthened controls on its eastern borders after the meeting of EU interior ministers on Friday. “It was agreed that police officers will carry out systematic control of all passports. Since Croatia is an external border of the EU, people have to wait a bit more”, Ostojić said. Asked about a possible joint registration of refugees along the Balkan route, Ostojić said that it was technically possible, but that it was not in accordance with the rules relating to the Schengen border control regime of the European Union, which means it will probably not happen.

Ostojić added that Croatia could have problems if Germany decides to return to the Dublin Agreement and starts sending economic migrants to the country of first registration. Since the Greeks have proved to be inhumane towards refugees, and Croatia is the next EU country on their route, Germany could start sending them to Croatia. “That would turn Croatia into a hotspot, but we cannot agree with that. Refugees from Serbia were first going through Hungary and only later through Croatia, and we think that in that case the migrants should be returned to Hungary”, Ostojić said.

The situation at the Macedonian-Greek border is quite dramatic. More than a thousand economic migrants have spent the last few days on no man’s land in makeshift camps between Macedonia and Greece, since they are not allowed to continue their journey. Macedonia has decided not to accept economic migrants, after Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia made a similar decision. Due to such a decision of the Macedonian authorities, migrants have started refusing food and water, and some of them have even decided to resort to desperate measures and have stitched up their mouths. One Iranian even tried to hang himself, but the police managed to prevent him.

It is expected that about 10,000 new economic migrants from Iran, Pakistan, Morocco, Sudan, Congo, Algeria, Bangladesh and some other North African countries will come to the region. Migrants have blocked rail traffic at the border between Greece and Macedonia and demand to be let through to Western Europe. Most of them have sold everything to reach Europe and the return to their countries would mean possible long prison terms.

 

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