Croatian Foreign Minister Miro Kovač talks about the refugee issue.
The transfer of migrants and refugees from Turkey to Croatia depends on whether the quota that has been agreed will be implemented at the EU level, said Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Miro Kovač on Friday, reports Index.hr on April 8, 2016.
The programme for the accommodation of refugees in Croatia will include the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Ministry of Social Policy, said Kovač. “But it all depends on whether the transfer will be implemented at the European Union level”, said the Minister asked how would Croatia operationally organise the accommodation of refugees from Turkey. He added that the accommodation issues are still being debated.
Croatia has committed to accepting less than 500 refugees from Turkey, said Kovač on Tuesday, adding that Croatia would fulfil its commitment. In total, Croatia should receive 1,600 refugees from the two separate programmes – transfer of refugees from one EU member state to another and resettlement programme from third countries (Turkey, Jordan) to the EU.
Several EU member states have already started with the transfer in accordance with the agreement between the European Union and Turkey. Germany has accepted 78 Syrians, 11 people have arrived in Finland while the first group of 31 Syrians on Tuesday arrived in the Netherlands.
Sources from Croatian Interior Ministry claim that, due to cost rationalisation, the Ministry is preparing to close the winter transit reception centre for refugees in Slavonski Brod. The preparations are under way and activities involve several government departments, confirmed the Police Directorate.
In the centre in Slavonski Brod, there are currently 96 people. The migrants from Slavonski Brod will be transferred to reception centres for foreigners in Croatia. According to the data of the Ministry of the Interior, since the beginning of the year, 162 people have asked for asylum in Croatia.
