Addressing those gathered, Deputy Mayor Luka Korlaet said that Zagreb was becoming a place for the dignified reception of displaced persons and a place for their permanent residence.
He noted that it was the first time that the City had organised an event like this, with the help of the Centre for Peace Studies, the Are You Syrious association, the Jesuit Refugee Service, the Centre for the Culture of Dialogue, and the Living Atelier DK.
Korlaet said that Zagreb was participating in the EU project Connection, and that early this year the City Assembly had adopted an action plan for the integration of displaced persons. He added that this was the first such plan ever adopted by a local government unit.
He pointed out that the City had launched a website at integracija.zagreb.hr in five languages (Croatian, English, Ukrainian, Arabic and Farsi) to provide general and current information on the integration process.
Entoni Šeperić of the Jesuit Refugee Service said that the purpose of this event was to discuss and raise public awareness of problems faced by displaced persons.
“Events like this actually help us to understand that we can be open and cooperative and that we can always be of assistance to others in their search for a new home,” Šeperić said.
