Author
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.
The Croatian Red Cross 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 information to them.
Until the end of March 2020, lawyers of the Croatian Law Centre (CLC) had access to both Reception Centres for Applicants for International Protection and the Reception Centre for Foreigners, where they provided free legal information. CLC’s lawyers were present in the Reception Centre for Applicants for International Protection in Kutina and in the Reception Centre for Foreigners when needed, and from May 2019 until March 2020 in the Reception Centre for Applicants for International Protection in Zagreb from Monday to Friday. However since the end of March 2020 up to the end of the year 2021, access is limited due to COVID restrictions; i.e. CLC lawyers were visiting mentioned facilities only when they were representing clients in administrative court procedure. Contacts with applications were mainly maintained telephone, email or applicants would come to CLC office when needed.
The Centre for Peace Studies does not have access to Reception Centres for Applicants for International Protection in Zagreb and Kutina from September 2018, neither access to Reception Centre for Foreigners from the begging of 2018, so their activities were provided out of the Centres in the course of 2021.[1]
In the course of 2019, Are you Syrious did not have access to Reception Centres for Applicants of International Protection, however Are you Syrious renewed its cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Interior in autumn 2019.[2] In 2020, AYS had access to the Porin until mid March 2020. However, following the outbreak of COVID-19, the Ministry of Interior suspended the access of NGOs who have signed agreements with the latter to facilities in Zagreb and Kutina.[3]
[1] Information provided by the Centre for Peace Studies,10 January 2022.
[2] H-alter, ‘Are You Syrious returns to Porin after nine months: “We have a lot to catch up on”’, 12 September 2019, available in Croatian at: https://bit.ly/2JKmOB3.
[3] Information provided by Are You Syrious, 2 February 2021.