Provision of information on reception

Croatia

Country Report: Provision of information on reception Last updated: 26/06/23

Author

Croatian Law Centre Visit Website

There are no specific rules for information to be provided to applicants on rights and obligations relating to reception conditions. The provisions in the LITP on information to applicants are formulated generally. The Ministry of Interior has to inform the applicants within 15 days of the expression of intention, about the procedure of approval of international protection, about rights and obligations they have in that procedure, the possibility of contact representatives of UNHCR and other organisations who work to protect the rights of refugees, and the possibility of receiving free legal assistance.[1]

In practice, according to the information available to the Croatian Law Centre, this information is given in writing during the submission of the application for international protection.

Applicants are informed about the House Rules of the reception centres and these rules are also displayed in a visible place in the premises of both Reception Centres for Applicants for International Protection. According to information provided by the Croatian Red Cross in previous years, the House Rules are available in Croatian, English, French, Arabic and Farsi. The Ministry of Interior has also specified back in 2017, that House Rules are also available in Urdu, Pashtu, Somali and Hindi.[2]

Upon their arrival in the Reception Centre, applicants are also informed by social workers and psychologists of the Croatian Red Cross about their rights and obligations, the House Rules and rules of conduct which must be adhered to while accommodated in the Reception Centre as well as other practical information e.g. the daily schedule of the distribution of linen, clothing and footwear, and hygiene items, laundry services, information on daily creative workshops and other activities available in the centre.

In 2020, the Centre for cultural activities prepared 6 videos containing the necessary information for applicants for international protection and foreigners residing in Croatia within the project „The video info corner for asylum seekers“ which was implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy. The videos provide general information,[3] as well as information on legal counselling, accommodation and daily life,[4] health care,[5] education,[6] obligation to respect the legal framework and customs of the Republic of Croatia,[7] and cultural features in the local community.[8] The videos were made with English subtitles and synchronized to Arabic.

Applicants accommodated in the reception centres also received information on COVID-19 and the measures that need to be taken to prevent its further spread. Information posters and/or leaflets on COVID 19 and hygiene were prepared by the Croatian Institute for Public Health and Ministry of the Interior,[9] Médecins du Monde (MdM),[10] and Croatian Red Cross.[11] Leaflets with instructions from the Croatian Institute of Public Health were translated into different languages and posted in visible places in the facilities to raise awareness on the importance of prevention and self-isolation. IOM Croatia reported that in 2022, materials related to COVID-19 vaccinations were developed in cooperation with IOM Slovenia and Croatian Ministry of Interior and were distributed also to Reception centres.

The NGO Roda in cooperation with the UNICEF Office for Croatia, prepared infographics “Pregnancy and coronavirus”, “Childbirth and coronavirus” and “Breastfeeding and coronavirus” using the latest scientific evidence available at the time (October 2020). Infographics are available in English, Romani (Chib), Baja-Romanian, Farsi and Arabic.[12]

 

 

 

[1]  Article 59(2) LITP.

[2]  Information provided by the Ministry of Interior, 2 March 2017.

[3]  The video is available at: https://bit.ly/3awCMN4.

[4] The video is available at: https://cutt.ly/qvKPaQo.

[5]  The video is available at: https://cutt.ly/6vKPjJp.

[6]  The video is available at: https://cutt.ly/YvKPcY4.

[7]  The video is available at: https://cutt.ly/YvKPQut.

[8]  The video is available at: https://cutt.ly/6vKPTPm.

[9]  Croatian Institute for Public Health and Ministry of Interior leaflets available at: https://bit.ly/3tJ9d2vhttps://bit.ly/3gx4ehl.

[10] MdM, Washing hands, available at: https://bit.ly/3v7lSMX; https://bit.ly/3sBfiws.

[11] Croatian Red Cross information on available sources of information on COVID-19, available in Arabic at: https://bit.ly/3n89ut5.

[12] NGO Roda, Koronavirus i trudnoća, porod i dojenje na engleskom jeziku, available in Croatian and other languages at: https://bit.ly/3v9MX1P.

Table of contents

  • Statistics
  • Overview of the legal framework
  • Overview of the of the main changes since the previous report update
  • Asylum Procedure
  • Reception Conditions
  • Detention of Asylum Seekers
  • Content of International Protection
  • ANNEX I – Transposition of the CEAS in national legislation