Types of accommodation

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Croatian Law Centre Visit Website

In Croatia there are 2 Reception Centres for Applicants of International Protection:

Source: UNHCR, Annual Statistical Snapshot – Asylum: Croatia 2020, available at: https://bit.ly/33OMsPk.

According to the Ministry of Interior’s information from previous years, the total capacity in both Reception Centres is 700.[1] More recent statistics on the maximum capacity and occupancy in 2019 and 2020 are not available. Nevertheless, in 2019 reconstruction of the Reception Centre in Zagreb was finalised. The Croatian Red Cross assessed that living conditions have been greatly improved thanks to renovation.[2]

Both reception centres are managed directly by the Ministry of Interior. The centre in Kutina is aimed at the accommodation of vulnerable applicants, although throughout 2019 the centre accommodated mainly persons who came through resettlement. At the end of 2019, when all resettled persons were relocated in other cities and provided with paid apartments, it was decided that vulnerable applicants would again be accommodated in Kutina.

In July 2018, the Ministry of Interior’s Independent Sector for Schengen Coordination and EU Funds decided to allocate funding for the implementation of the project “Establishing Infrastructure and Capacity Building of the Reception Centre for Applicants for international protection in Mala Gorica within the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund”.[3] In accordance with this decision, the Government planned to build a Reception Centre for applicants for International Protection in Mala Gorica, near Petrinja. However, in 2019, due to the opposition of the local population[4], it was decided that the funds would be invested in the arrangement of the existing Reception centers for the Applicants of International Protection in Zagreb and Kutina instead of building new Reception Centre in Mala Gorica.[5]

The project “Reconstruction and Adaptation of the Reception Centre for Applicants for international protection in Zagreb”, which restored the accommodation capacity of the centre was completed. The project was of a total value of €1,720,026.38 and was co-financed by AMIF.[6]

In January and March 2020, the Directorate for European Affairs, International Relations and European Union Funds of the Ministry of the Interior adopted decisions on the allocation of AMIF funds for the design of reception centres in Kutina and Zagreb.[7] The purpose of the project is to arrange Reception Centres and improve reception and accommodation services as well as working conditions.Since October 2021, all applicants have been accommodated in the Reception Centre in Zagreb, since Reception Centre in Kutina is under renovation.

In January 2021, the Directorate for European Affairs, International Relations and European Union Funds of the Ministry of the Interior adopted a decision on the allocation of AMIF funds for the project “ Procurement of equipment for needs of  MoI’s Service for reception and accommodation of applicants for international protection and Service for international protection- NOP2”. The purpose of the project is to equip reception centres in accordance with the best European practice in order to improve the quality of life of applicants as well as the working conditions for state officials .[8] In April 2021, the decision on the allocation of AMIF funds for the project “Increase of accommodation capacity of the Reception Centre for applicants for international protection in Zagreb” was adopted.[9] The impact in practice remains to be seen.

As part of a project implemented by the Croatian Red Cross, CRC employees accepted and accommodated 3,038 applicants for international protection in 2021, of which 512 applicants in the Reception Centre in Kutina and 2,526 in Zagreb.[10]

[1]  Information provided by the Ministry of Interior, 28 January 2019.

[2]  Information provided by Croatian Red Cross, 20 December 2019.

[3] Ministry of Interior, ‘Odluka o dodjeli financijskih sredstava za provedbu projekta: “Uspostava infrastrukture i jačanje kapaciteta Prihvatilišta za tražitelje azila u Maloj Gorici“’, 16 July 2018, available in Croatian at: https://bit.ly/2Hzcc8o. See also Ministry of Interior, Decision 018-08/18-03-4, 9 July 2018, available in Croatian at: https://bit.ly/2TUIAZS.

[4]   N1, ‘Petrinja does not want an asylum center’, 11 February 2019, available at: https://bit.ly/2JKWzKZ.

[5]  Ministry of Interior, Decision on the annulment of  the decision on the allocation of funds for the implementation of the project “Establishment of infrastructure and capacity building of the Reception Centre for Asylum seekers in Mala Gorica” ​​and termination of  the agreement on direct allocation of funds for the implementation of the said project, 24 May 2019, available in Croatian at: https://bit.ly/2UCjop9.

[6] EMN, Bulletin, November 2019, available at: https://bit.ly/34iMWN8.

[7]  EMN, Migration Bulletin, May 2020, available at: https://bit.ly/3n6Wx2G.

[8] Ministry of Interior, Decision on the allocation of AMIF funds for the project “ Procurement of equipment for needs of  MoI’s Service for reception and accommodation of applicants for international protection and Service for international protection- NOP2”,available in Croatian: https://bit.ly/3hIqzIi.

[9] Ministry of Interior, Decision on the allocation of AMIF funds for the project “Increase of accommodation capacity of the Reception Centre for applicants for international protection in Zagreb”, available in Croatian: https://bit.ly/3vL8AJm.

[10]  Croatian Red Cross: Annual report for 2021, available at: https://bit.ly/3xfFvXh.