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UNHCR has access to all facilities where applicants are accommodated, namely the Reception Centres for Applicants for International Protection in Zagreb and Kutina and the Reception Centre for Foreigners in Ježevo and to Transit Reception Centres for Foreigners in Trilj and Tovarnik.
Since the end of March 2020 and the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, access for NGOs to Reception Centre for Applicants of International Protection has been restricted; this continued in 2024 and only the Croatian Red Cross (CRC) and MdM had daily access to the Reception centres.
The CRC staff is present on a daily basis in the Reception Centre for Applicants for International Protection and can refer applicants to the relevant organisations or institutions which can provide them with relevant information.
MdM staff is also present in the Reception Centre for Applicants for International Protection in Zagreb, and when needed in the Reception Centre for Applicants for International Protection in Kutina.
In 2024, legal aid related to international protection was provided to applicants via email, by telephone or in person (in the premises of organisations) by Borders none, Croatian Law Centre, Centre for Peace Studies, and Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS).
As part of the Coordination for Integration, an informal network of CSOs, the Center for Peace Studies organized a meeting with the Ministry of the Interior in November 2024. The topic of the meeting was the access of CSOs to the Reception Center for Applicants for International Protection in Zagreb. During the meeting, representatives of eight CSOs presented the reasons for requesting access to the Reception Center (i.e., in order to organize activities and provide support to applicants for international protection). The Ministry of the Interior agreed to consider the request and explore the possibilities of offering CSOs premises or alternative solutions to increase the visibility of their activities for applicants within the Reception Centre.[1]
[1] Information provided by the Centre for Peace Studies, 27 February 2025.