Author
The Border Police Directorate of the Ministry of Interior is in charge of the management of the detention centre and the staff working within the centre are mainly police officers. In 2019, the Ministry of Interior reported that a total 75 employees work in the Reception Centre for Foreigners in Ježevo, 33 in the Transit Reception Centre in Tovarnik and 42 in the Transit Reception Centre in Trilj.[1] No new data is available since then.
The new Ordinance on accommodation in the Reception Centre for Foreigners and the method of calculating the costs of forced removal entered into force at the beginning of January 2022 and was amended in 2023.[2]
In the report for 2024, the Ombudswoman stated that accommodation conditions are being systematically improved in all three centres. However, at the Centre in Trilj, conditions for outdoor stay of persons deprived of liberty have still not been ensured, and at the Centre in Tovarnik, canopies have not been built in the yard. During the Ombuswoman’s emplyees’ visits to centres, they conducted anonymous surveys among detained individuals in order to gain additional insight into their awareness of the following rights: access to legal aid, complaint mechanisms, healthcare, visits, phone calls, time outdoors, food, respect for religious beliefs, receiving mail and packages, managing financial resources, information on reasons for detention, the expected duration of detention, contact with family members, and the right to seek international protection. [3] The survey questionnaires were translated into nine languages (Arabic, English, French, Russian, Turkish, Farsi, Urdu, Kurdish, and Pashto). In Trilj and Tovarnik, all detained individuals participated in the survey — 45 persons in Trilj and 26 in Tovarnik — while in Ježevo, due to a lack of questionnaires in languages understood by the individuals, only 26 out of 46 participated. The questionnaire contained 20 questions, and the survey was anonymous and voluntary. According to the survey results, all three centres show issues with identifying vulnerable individuals and providing basic information about their rights. Most respondents stated that they had not been asked about possible traumatic experiences, such as whether they had been victims of torture, rape, or other forms of violence. In Ježevo, 82.6% of respondents said they had not been asked about traumatic experiences, in Tovarnik 61%, and in Trilj 96.6%, indicating a serious lack of systematic assessment and, where needed, support. The current staffing structure in the centres is not suitable for conducting such assessments, so the Ombudswoman recommended that professionals such as social workers, psychologists, or social pedagogues be employed in roles requiring such competencies. Procedures for identifying vulnerable groups also need to be developed.
The responses also indicated shortcomings in gathering information about individuals’ health conditions and informing them about the possibility of receiving medical care. For example, in Ježevo, 47.8% of respondents said they were not asked whether they suffer from serious physical or mental illnesses; in Trilj that number was 96.6%, and in Tovarnik 61.5%. In one centre, the only employed nurse works part-time, while in another, those working in healthcare roles have qualifications unrelated to the tasks defined in the Ministry of the Interior’s internal regulations — for example, backgrounds in economics or administrative law.
It is also concerning that the survey shows that detained persons are not sufficiently informed about their rights during their stay in the centre. For instance, in Trilj, 86.5% stated they were not informed of their right to contact their embassy or consulate, and only 17.8% said they could contact a lawyer, family member, or friend by phone. Others cited various reasons why this was not possible. The situation is similar in other centres, and it is troubling that many people do not know the reasons for their detention in the centre or how long they will be deprived of liberty. In Ježevo, 39.1% of respondents said they do not understand the staff addressing them, an issue also present in Trilj and Tovarnik.
According to the survey results, irregular migrants are also not adequately informed about their right to seek asylum. In Trilj, 77.8% of respondents said they were not informed of their right to apply for international protection, in Tovarnik 84.6%, while the situation is somewhat better in Ježevo, where 52.2% reported not receiving such information. When asked if they were able to apply for international protection, 97.5% in Trilj said they were not, and in Tovarnik, 96.2%. The situation is significantly better in Ježevo, where only 17.4% said they were unable to apply.[4]
Overall conditions
Conditions in the detention centre are satisfactory. According to the Ombudsman’s report for 2024 the accommodation conditions are being systematically improved in all three centres. However, at the Centre in Trilj, conditions for outdoor stay of persons deprived of liberty have still not been ensured, and at the Centre in Tovarnik, canopies have not been built in the yard.[5]
With the support of the EU AMIF financial instrument, a new kitchen, laundry and a heating system were installed in the course of 2019 as well as a football field.[6] At the end of 2020, the Ministry of Interior’s Decision was taken on the allocation of additional financial resources for the implementation of the project “Assistance in maintaining an adequate level of accommodation in the Reception Centre for Foreigners” within the framework of AMIF.[7]
In October 2020, information was published according to which the Reception centre for Foreigners in Ježevo implements the project: “Improvement of accommodation conditions and working conditions in the Reception Center for Foreigners in Ježevo”. The aim of the project is to ensure adequate accommodation conditions for third-country nationals in accordance with EU standards, improve the infrastructure and to raise the level of quality of services as well as working conditions for employees in the Centre.[8] In June 2021, the Decision on the allocation of financial resources for the implementation of the project “Improvement of accommodation and working conditions in the Reception Centre for Foreigners in Ježevo – II. phase” was adopted.[9] In May 2021, the Decision on the allocation of financial resources for the implementation of the project “Improvement of accommodation and working conditions in the Transit Reception Centre Trilj” was adopted.[10]
In May 2022, a Decision was made on the allocation of financial resources for the implementation of the project “Improvement of accommodation and working conditions in the Transit Reception Centre for foreigners Trilj” within the framework of the AMIF.[11]
The purpose of this project is to improve the accommodation and working conditions in the Transit Reception Centre for foreigners in Trilj through the construction of sanitary facilities, the separation of the living area from the reception area for foreigners, the installation of a video surveillance system and an alarm bell, and the procurement of additional necessary equipment and furniture.
In 2023, following two decisions taken in 2018 and 2020, two decisions were made on the allocation of financial resources for the implementation of the project aimed for maintaining an adequate level of accommodation in the Reception Centre for foreigners within the framework of the AMIF.[12]
In April 2024, the Directorate for European Affairs, International Relations and EU Funds of the Ministry of the Interior adopted a Decision on the direct award of financial resources for the implementation of the project “Support for Financing the Accommodation and Stay of Foreign Nationals in the Reception Centre for Foreigners” under the AMIF. The purpose of the project is to support the Ministry of the Interior in financing adequate living conditions for third-country nationals and other irregular migrants accommodated in the Reception Centre for Foreigners. The total value of the project amounts to €500,000 including VAT and is financed in full (100%) through the operational support of the AMIF Programme.[13]
The new Ordinance on accommodation in the Reception Centre for Foreigners and the method of calculating the costs of forced removal entered into force at the beginning of January 2022.[14] The Ordinance was amended at the end of 2022 and in 2023.
According to the Ordinance, each room must guarantee 4m2 per person and have access to daylight.[15] Every person has their own bed and there is sufficient space and separation between beds, as well as sufficient space to store personal possessions. Men and women are separated, except in the case of family. Family members, if they are not accommodated in the same room of the Centre, will be provided with daily meetings and socialising.[16] Detainees are provided with clothes,[17] although they are all dressed in identical tracksuits and cannot, in usual circumstances, use their clothes. Upon arrival in the Centre and during their stay, persons use the clothes, bed linen and hygiene supplies they are assigned. If necessary, their clothes are being washed and put away packed in a storage room, and only exceptionally foreigners may be allowed to use their own clothes, if the clothes are suitable for staying in the centre.[18]
There used to be a so-called library within the centre so detainees had access to books in various languages. Yet, according to the CPT report, the Centre had no library. However, in response to the report, the Croatian Government reported that bookcases have been set up in the living area. The books are available in English, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Turkish, Arabic, Urdu, Pashto and Farsi and the list is continuously updated.
However, no internet access is available. The centre is cleaned on a regular basis and there are sufficient showers and toilets. There is a common room with a TV available and migrants can spend most of the day there, watching TV or playing cards. There is also a facility for buying cigarettes and drinks. There are two public phones available to migrants at the Centre that can be used at their own cost. However, detained migrants are not allowed to use their mobile phones, which are seized upon admission to the Centre.[19]
If a person is in possession of any cash, it will be temporarily seized.[20] While staying in the Centre, people may however use the seized cash for necessary payments; the exchange of foreign currencies is done once a week. Any detainee cannot be in possession of an amount of money superior to EUR 53.09.[21]
The costs of accommodation of foreigners in the centre are charged as a flat rate at the amount of 33.18 euros per day and are calculated from the day accommodation until the day of discharge from the centre.[22] These costs are borne by the foreigners themselves and in the case of families, the costs are borne by the person who holds the funds.[23]
According to the Ordinance, persons are provided with three meals a day, of which at least one must be a warm meal. Children are provided with four meals a day. Specific diets can be prepared upon request for religious reasons, or when ordered by a doctor (e.g., for pregnant women).[24] In practice, quality of food is generally reported to be of a satisfactory level.
People are entitled to stay outdoors for at least two hours a day in a specially designated area within the Centre (there is a football playground serving as an outdoor exercise area).[25] This does not always happen, for example during bad weather conditions.
Migrants, have the right to practice their religion, but they must respect the religious and cultural worldviews of other people in the centre. In addition, upon their requests, foreigners will be allowed be contact with religious communities.[26]
In 2023, the ECtHR issued its judgement in the case of Daraibou v. Croatia, concerning detention conditions in the premises of the Border Police station of Bajakovo. The case concerned a fire that broke out in the basement room of Border Police station Bajakovo, where applicant and three other migrants were detained as irregular migrants pending their expulsion back to Serbia next day. According to the Government, the applicant and other detainees set fire to their mattresses, bedsheets and clothes, probably using a cigarette lighter. The fire was intense and spread uncontrollably. A number of police officers rushed into the basement area to rescue the detainees. One of the detainees died at the scene of incident, while two others later succumbed to their injuries. The applicant had suffered severe injuries. The applicant complained under the substantive and procedural limbs of Articles 2 and 3 ECHR that Croatia is responsible for not preventing a life-threatening situation, a fire in the police station, owing to which he suffered grave bodily injuries and that no effective investigation has been carried out in that respect. In its judgement,[27] the ECtHR ruled, unanimously, that two violations of Article 2 (right to life/investigation) of the ECHR occurred. The Court concluded that the authorities had failed to provide the applicant with sufficient and reasonable protection of his life and limb, in violation of Article 2. It also held that there had been a further violation of Article 2 as concerned the investigation into the tragic fire. Although the authorities’ initial reaction had been prompt, certain questions – concerning searches and monitoring of detainees, as well as the adequacy of the premises – had been left unanswered and no attempt had been made to establish whether there had been broader institutional shortcomings which earlier identification could have prevented similar errors in the future.[28]
Health care and special needs in detention
During the stay in the centre, access to health care services is provided to third country nationals. In case individual medical condition worsens outside working hours of the Centre’s doctor’s office, officials will take measures to provide assistance and all measures to eliminate the danger to the foreigner’s life or health. Special medical care is provided to pregnant women and women giving birth.[29]
Upon admission to the centre, the foreigner is obliged to undergo a general medical examination.[30] Immediately upon placement in the centre, the person is obliged to inform the officials about any existing health and mental condition. In case of infection or suspicion of the existence of an infectious disease, the foreigner is placed in a special room and provided with medical care.[31]
The health and medical care of persons who are accommodated at the Reception Centre in Ježevo is conducted by a general practitioner. An emergency medical service also comes to the Centre when called. If a person does not speak English, the telephone interpretation is conducted by interpreters with whom the Ministry of the Interior has concluded an agreement either during a basic medical examination, a screening, or during health checks but also when transporting persons to specialist examinations and during treatments in hospitals and specialised institutions. Psychosocial assistance and protection are conducted in cooperation with the Croatian Red Cross.
According to the knowledge of Croatian Law Centre, there is no special mechanism in the detention centre to identify persons with special reception needs. A special facility exists for vulnerable groups within the Centre. This facility is an integral part of the Reception Centre for Foreigners, which is an organisational unit of the Border Police Directorate. Beside rooms for accommodation, the facility has a living room and a playroom for children, and facilities for education, health care, isolation, psychologists and educators.
However, as stated above, concerns regarding -among others- the identification of vulnerabilities and access to healthcare were identfied in in the Ombudswoman’s report for 2024.
In 2022, the Croatian Red Cross (CRC) made a leaflet on the topic of mental health and psychosocial support for detained persons. The leaflet explains what reactions people in detention can have and what they can do to make it easier for themselves.[32]
In 2024, the CRC continued to provide psychosocial support in all three centres.[33]
[1] Information provided by the Ministry of Interior, Border Directorate, 6 February 2019.
[2] Official Gazette 145/2021, 155/2022, 137/2023
[3] This referes to irregular migrants, not only applicants for international protection.
[4] Ombudswoman: Report of the Ombudswoman for 2024, page 277-279, available at: https://www.ombudsman.hr/hr/download/izvje-e-pu-ke-pravobraniteljice-za-2024-godinu/?wpdmdl=20339&refresh=67efca50785f31743768144.
[5] This referes to irregular migrants, not only applicants for international protection.
[6] Council of Europe, Report to the Croatian Government on the visit to Croatia carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), 10 to 14 August 2020, available at: https://rm.coe.int/1680a4c199.
[7] Ministry of Interior, Decision on the allocation of additional financial resources for the implementation of the project “Assistance in maintaining an adequate level of accommodation in the Reception Centre for Foreigners”, available at: https://bit.ly/3KAeu4W.
[8] Ministry of Interior: Project “Improvement of accommodation conditions and working conditions in the Reception Center for Foreigners in Ježevo“, 23 October 2020, available in Croatian at: https://bit.ly/3emgiiW.
[9] Ministry of Interior, Decision the allocation of financial resources for the implementation of the project “Improvement of living and working conditions in the Reception Centre for Foreigners in Ježevo – II. phase”, available at: https://bit.ly/3KzJKRi.
[10] Ministry of Interior, Decision on the allocation of financial resources for the implementation of the project “Improvement of accommodation and working conditions in the Transit Reception Centre Trilj”, available in Croatian at: https://bit.ly/3MI0197; Decision on allocation of additional financial resources, available in Croatian at: https://bit.ly/43i8eI7.
[11] Ministry of Interior: Project “Improvement of accommodation and working conditions in the Transit Reception Centre for foreigners Trilj”; available at: https://bit.ly/46cW8SH.
[12] Ministry of Interior, Decisions on the allocation of financial resources for the implementation of the project aimed for maintaining an adequate level of accommodation in the Reception Centre for foreigners, available at: https://bit.ly/4cqJt0u.
[13] Ministry of the Interior: Support for Financing the Accommodation and Stay of Foreign Nationals in the Reception Centre for Foreigners,2 May 2025, available at: https://mup.gov.hr/potpora-u-financiranju-troskova-smjestaja-i-boravka-stranaca-u-prihvatnom-centru-za-strance/294053.
[14] Official Gazette 145/2021, 155/2022
[15] Article 9 Detention Centre Ordinance.
[16] Ibid.
[17] Article 11 Detention Centre Ordinance.
[18] Article 11 Detention Centre Ordinance.
[19] Article 8 (3) Detention Centre Ordinance.
[20] Article 21 (1) Detention Centre Ordinance
[21] Article 21 Detention Centre Ordinance.
[22] Article 27 (5 )- (6) Detention Centre Ordinance.
[23] Article 28 (2) Detention Centre Ordinance.
[24] Article 16 (2) – (5) Detention Centre Ordinance.
[25] Article 15 (1) Detention Centre Ordinance.
[26] Article 17 Detention Centre Ordinance.
[27] ECtHR, Daraibou v. Croatia, Judgment, available at: http://bit.ly/3THBvbb.
[28] ECtHR, Press Releases: Judgment Daraibou v. Croatia – fatal fire in police-station basement room used to detain illegal migrants; available at: https://bit.ly/3lFUYfS.
[29] Article 13 Detention Centre Ordinance.
[30] Article 12 (2) Detention Centre Ordinance.
[31] Article 7 Detention Centre Ordinance.
[32] Information provided by the Croatian Red Cross, 18 January 2023.
[33] Information provided by Croatian Red Cross, 20 January 2025.