Summary of the appeal
The aim of this Operations Update n° 2 is to report on the progress of the implementation of the Croatian Red Cross`s activities from 22 June to 31 July 2016.
A revised Emergency Appeal was published on 22 June 2016 to reflect the current situation, focusing on the provision of assistance to the stranded migrants as well as the host communities in Croatia, while supporting and strengthening the efforts of the Croatian Red Cross.
This appeal ends on 31 October 2016, with a final report due by 31 January 2017.
Description of the situation
Since the launch of the Emergency Appeal on 9 February 2016, there has been a significant change in the migratory situation in Croatia. After the EU Summit announcing the closure of the Balkan migratory trail and introducing the European Union (EU) -Turkey agreement, the Croatian Government closed the country`s borders and since then, there has been no new organised arrivals of migrants to Slavonski Brod Camp.
Upon the closure of Balkan route on 8 March 2016, the Slavonski Brod Transit Winter Reception Camp was closed by mid-April. Some 500 migrants accommodated in the camp were moved to migrants and asylum seeker facilities – majority of them to Zagreb and Kutina shelter facilities and a smaller portion of them to the Ježevo detention facility close to Zagreb.
At the very end of July 2016, there are some 377 migrants and refugees in Croatia accommodated in open or closed asylum and migrants’ facilities – most of who have applied for asylum in the country:
Kutina open asylum seeker facility with 72 vulnerable asylum seekers including families with children
Zagreb open asylum seeker and migrants’ facility with 256 asylum seekers and 15 irregular migrants, mainly families with children accommodated in Zagreb open facility
Ježevo detention centre near Zagreb (Dugo Selo) with 33 persons – 9 asylum seekers and 24 irregular migrants.
A total of 394 migrants and refugees have left those three shelters for asylum seekers and migrants since April including 10 people who were granted international protection (8 were granted asylum and 2 subsidiary protection). The last have been moved out of Zagreb or Kutina facility and accommodated in state rented apartments in Zagreb upon granted international protection.
At the end of June 2016, four Eritrean refugees were relocated from Italy to Croatia in line with the EU relocation and resettlement plan. They were initially accommodated in Zagreb reception centre where they will stay for a few months pending decision to their international protection claims. As announced by the Croatian Ministry of Interior (MoI), for the rest of the summer of 2016, additional migrants will be relocated from Italy and Greece and will be temporarily accommodated in Zagreb facility.
From April to end of July 2016, some 141 migrants were sent back to Croatia from Switzerland and Austria, majority of whom have applied for international protection upon their arrival and accommodation in Croatian shelter facilities. Most of them are from Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq.
Besides the asylum seekers, Zagreb facility also accommodates the irregular migrants who are mainly vulnerable groups such as families with children. As the Zagreb facility is an open centre, there are no restrictions to their movement or to the services provided to them by the Croatian Red Cross. The migrants under movement restrictions are accommodated in Ježevo detention facility.
The Croatian Red Cross (CRC) is providing regular daily services to the migrants in two facilities for asylum seekers and migrants as well as occasionally services to migrants in Ježevo detention facility through CRC teams visits.
According to the Ministry of Interior, a total of 1,000 to 3,000 irregular migrants may be transferred to Croatia from the Western European countries. Additionally, another group of 1,600 migrants and asylum seekers from Turkey, Greece and Italy are expected to be accommodated in Croatia in line with the resettlement and relocation program of the EU.
On 22 June 2016 a Revised Emergency Appeal for 1,315,022 Swiss francs was launched to continue supporting migrants that have transited or remain in Croatia and to support contingency planning for a further 1,000 migrants.