January 5, 2023 - The Croatian Government announced some of its new measures for 2023, including accelerating the process of issuing work permits to foreigners, tightening sanctions for violence against women and children, and expanding single-shift school days.
As Glas Slavonije writes, the preparation of amendments to the Foreigners Act is one of the priorities of the work of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. They are adopted to harmonize with the acquis of the EU regarding the entry and residence of citizens of third countries to employ highly qualified workers and simplify and speed up the procedure for issuing residence and work permits. In cooperation with the Croatian Employment Service, the existing application is expected to be upgraded to more efficiently issue residence and work permits; the MUP points out.
In the first quarter, the Ministry of Justice and Administration should prepare a package of legal changes that will tighten sanctions for violence against women, especially in the case of violation of preventive measures, and increase the rights of women - victims of violence while expanding the support system for victims and witnesses. Drafting of a new law on the protection of children from violence is planned for the last quarter, and it will cover the sanctioning of all forms of violence against children, especially when it comes to sexual abuse and child exploitation. The issues of redefining the terms for rehabilitation for the commission of these criminal acts will also be considered, while the issue of using data from criminal records will be defined, with the intention is to introduce additional verification mechanisms.
The Ministry is also working on a salaries act to eliminate the imbalances in the salary system, both in civil and public services. The new law will define a wage system that will be fair and sustainable, with full application of the principle of equal pay for equal work, the Ministry says, which is also preparing a new law on conciliation and a new law on non-litigation proceedings.
This year, the Ministry of Interior will continue the projects of improving and modernizing the work of the traffic police and introducing cameras on the uniforms of police officers, which will contribute, as emphasized, to the improvement of the relationship between the police and citizens in cases of disputed actions, and to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens, but also to protect police officers from unfounded complaints.
In accordance with the National Mine Action Program, the area of Osijek-Baranja and Šibenik-Knin Counties are planned to be demined entirely this year (a total of 15.4 square kilometers). The Ministry of Science and Education is preparing an invitation from the National Plan of Resilience and Recovery for the beginning of 2023 for the construction, extension, and reconstruction of schools for the transition of all elementary schools in Croatia to single-shift work.
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