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In Croatia there are 2 Reception Centres for Applicants of International Protection:
| Capacity and occupancy of Reception Centres for Asylum Seekers | |||
| Centre | Location | Maximum capacity | Occupancy: 28 December 2020 |
| Hotel Porin | City of Zagreb | 600 | N/A |
| Kutina | 80km from Zagreb | 100 | N/A |
| Total | 700 | 328 | |
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 is 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.
[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.