April the 26th, 2023 - Croatia joined the borderless, passport-free Schengen zone on the 1st of January this year, but that doesn't mean things are simpler for absolutely everyone. With people entering the country from EEA countries, Schengen countries and third countries, let's look into just how Croatian border checks actually work.

Schengen accession took place on the very same day as Eurozone accession (January the 1st, 2023), making the Republic of Croatia the first country to have ever entered both of these zones and deepened its EU membership even further on the same date. While the Eurozone meant the scrapping of the kuna and the alignment of Croatia with the rest of the EU countries using the single currency (the euro), Schengen entry meant the dropping of Croatian border checks within the Schengen zone.

What is Schengen and how does it function with regard to Croatian border checks?

The Schengen countries have free movement, meaning travel between them is treated as if it was domestic travel within a single country, and there are no border checks for anyone travelling between them. This means that on the 1st of January 2023, the Croatian border crossing with Slovenia was sent to the history books, and hopefully the painfully long (and now rather infamous) queues of cars during the hot summer months have gone with it. 

Along with the Slovenian border, Croatian border checks with neighbouring Italy and Hungary have also now been abolished. This is because all of those countries are also part of the wider Schengen zone. People entering Croatia from Slovenia, Hungary or Italy also do not face any checks when entering Croatia.

While Croatian border checks on the land were abolished on January the 1st, 2023, border checks at airports were only scrapped on March the 26th for flights operating within the Schengen area.

Do I need to be an EU national in order to be able to travel freely within the Schengen zone and avoid Croatian border checks?

No. The Schengen zone permits the free movement of over 400 million people. You just need to be legally present in the European Union in order for this to apply to you. This may mean you need a visa, so check that based on your citizenship.

What if I have permanent residence in Croatia but I am a non-EU national?

If you hold permanent residence in Croatia and can prove that (by holding a residence permit), then you are free to live and work in Croatia indefinitely without being subject to any requirements. You are also free to come and go as you please (there are some restrictions depending on your status and nationality).

Whenever you go through Croatian border checks, such as if you are travelling from Croatia to a non-Schengen country, or vice-versa, you need to make sure you proactively show your residence permit along with your valid passport. Do not assume the border officer somehow knows you're a permanent resident otherwise. They don't.

As a permanent resident of Croatia, your time in Croatia is considered time at home and is not part of the number of days you can spend in another Schengen country. You can spend a maximum of 90 days in any 180 days in any other Schengen country outside of Croatia. Make sure you have your passport Croatian residence permit with you at all times because random checks can and do sometimes still occur.

Visas

Not everyone requires a Schengen visa, so make sure to check if you do. The answer will be based on your citizenship whether or not you already live in the EU could have some bearing on it. If you do need a visa and you have entered an EU country with a valid Schengen visa, you can travel throughout the Schengen zone for as long as your visa remains valid, and for a maximum of 90 days during any 180 day period. You will not need a separate visa for each Schengen area country and you will not need to show your passport when crossing each internal border.

The EU and Schengen are different things

The borderless Schengen area currently includes 27 EU member states. If you wish to travel to an EU country which is not part of Schengen for a short stay (meaning less than 90 days), you must obtain a separate national visa from the authorities of that particular country. If you wish to travel from an EU member state that isn't part of the Schengen area to the Schengen area, you will need to apply for a Schengen visa to enter.

The EU, the EEA and Europe are different things, as well

This sounds insultingly obvious, but it's amazing how many people mix up the continent and the bloc called the European Union. EU law applies to 27 European countries. It does not apply in certain European countries which are not EU member states, such as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, while they do apply in the Republic of Ireland, which remains a member state.

Certain EU laws also apply in non-EU member states which are part of the EEA (European Economic Area), such as Norway, Iceland and the Principality of Liechtenstein. In the case of Switzerland, which is not an EU member state but is instead aligned by numerous bilateral treaties, it has adopted numerous provisions tied to EU law in order to have access to and to participate in the EU's large single market.

External borders

The external border refers to the external border of the Schengen zone. This means that when exiting Croatia and entering neighbouring countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, which are all non-EEA countries and also not part of the Schengen zone, or entering Croatia from them, you will be subject to Croatian border checks. This is also the case if you're flying out of Croatia (or into it) from a non-Schengen country, such as the United Kingdom.

If a person does not require a Schengen visa or holds a valid one entitling them to free movement within the Schengen area for no more than 90 days in any 180 period, then Croatian border checks are carried out in order to determine the following:

- The identity and the citizenship of the individual attempting to cross the Croatian border

- The validity of their passport or other government-issued travel document

- The validity of their Croatian residence permit if they present one

- Various checks against different relevant databases

- Time already spent in the Schengen zone as of January the 1st, 2023

- Whether the Schengen visa (if applicable) is valid

- That they aren't an individual for whom an alert has been issued for the refusal of entry into the country

More can be read here and a detailed guide to visas for those third country nationals who require them in order to enter Croatia can be read here.

Third country nationals who do not hold valid residence in Croatia and as such cannot present a Croatian residence permit with their passport

Third country nationals (individuals entering who do not old the citizenship of any of the current EEA/EU member states and who do not present a valid Croatian residence permit) are subject to thorough checks upon entry and exit. In addition to the aforementioned checks, additional checks are also carried out, including the calculation of the time that individual has previously spent in the entire Schengen zone as of January the 1st, 2023 (the day of Croatia's official accession). They will have their passports stamped by a border officer.

Third country nationals who do hold valid residence in Croatia and present a Croatian residence permit with their passport

Third country nationals who hold Croatian residence permits are not treated in the same way as those who do not possess such a status and as such cannot present such a permit when arriving at the Croatian border (be that entering or exiting). 

Within the meaning of the Schengen acquis, a third country national is any person who is not an EU citizen, who is not a family member of an EU citizen exercising their right to free movement, or who is not a third country national or their family member, whatever their nationality, who enjoys rights of free movement equivalent to those of EU citizens. In short, if you hold a valid Croatian residence permit, your free access to enter and exit Croatia is facilitated as detailed previously in this article. Their passports will not be stamped.

Caveats

Schengen border checks and as such Croatian border checks can be introduced temporarily at any time in certain situations.

Carry your passport and Croatian residence permit with you (if you have one) at all times, just in case.

For more on moving to, living in and travelling to and from Croatia, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section. Keep an eye out for our How to Croatia articles which tackle a different aspect of doing things here and which are published every Wednesday.

March the 20th, 2023 - A fine of 1650 euros has been issued by the authorities to an individual for attempting to bring 7.5 kg of dried meat and 34 packets of cigarettes across the Croatian border at Stara Gradiska.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, despite Croatia having joined the borderless, passport free Schengen zone on the first day of 2023, there are still very clear rules about what can and cannot be transferred across the borders of the European Union (EU).

One good example would be the transfer of fresh meat, dried meat and dairy products, as well as fruits and vegetables, all of which is very strictly prohibited. Despite this, plenty of people either don't know or simply don't bother to look at or adhere to these rules, and if they're caught, they need to pay hefty fines, as reported by GP Maljevac.

At the Croatian border, more specifically at the Stara Gradiska border crossing, one passenger wanted to transport 7.5 kilograms of dried meat and 34 packs of cigarettes from Bosnia and Herzegovina, a neighbouring non-EEA/EU, non Schengen zone country, into the Republic of Croatia.

None of the aforementioned products were declared to the customs officer as they should have been, meaning that everything was confiscated from the individual in question, and they also had to pay a hefty fine of 1,650 euros.

If the fine isn't paid on time, it will be replaced by imprisonment. The import of up to 20 kg of fish, shellfish and fish products, up to 2 kg of milk powder for babies, baby food and special needs food, up to 2 kg of pet food, up to 2 kg of other food such as honey, live shellfish and snails and up to 125 grams of caviar or other products of protected species are allowed to be transported across the Croatian border. Two packs of cigarettes and one litre of alcohol are also allowed.

For more, check out our dedicated news section.

January the 2nd, 2023 - Schengen Croatia is now finally a reality, with the country having joined a Europe without borders yesterday, as well as the Eurozone. While things are far more free, there are still items you can't take across the border. Here's an extensive list.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Croatia became the 20th member of the Eurozone yesterday, and it also became the newest member of the Schengen zone, the largest area of free movement of goods and people in the entire world. From January the 1st, 2023, the period of dual circulation begins, which will last fourteen days, that is, until January the 14th, 2023 at midnight. During this period, when it comes to cash transactions, in addition to the euro, it will be possible to continue to use kuna banknotes and coins as a legal tender.

The amounts of money that must be paid or calculated are recalculated using a fixed conversion rate that is set at the level of 1 euro = 7.53450 kuna, which means that even if you pay in kuna, the change you'll get back will always be in euros.

If you're planning to travel abroad soon, you're more than likely wondering what you are (not) allowed to carry across the Croatian border and what the fines are if you break the rules, how many packs of cigarettes can be with you in the car, whether you'll be fined if you've got rolls of cheese and more bacon than anyone could ever eat in your boot. What about alcoholic beverages?

There are some illogicalities here, from some countries, you can bring in unlimited amounts of fish, from others you can't even have a single gram of meat, you won't have problems with sweets anywhere, but you will with baby food. Precisely because of all these rules, of which there are so many that sometimes it isn't easy to remember them even for the customs officers themselves, Vecernji list published a list of all the things that you may and may not bring into the newly crowned Schengen Croatia.

First and foremost, it should be noted that this list refers to the import of goods from countries which are outside the EU, with the exception of Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, San Marino, Andorra and Liechtenstein. So, for these last listed countries, the same rules apply as if you were transporting goods within the EU, meaning that there are no restrictions on them. Some other special rules apply to the Faroe Islands and Greenland, but in order not to further complicate this already long list, we will omit those two countries here. In short, if you import goods from third countries (e.g. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, etc.), the limit for importing goods must not exceed 3,200 kuna per person in sea and air transport and 2,200 kuna in all other types of transport, and 1,100 kuna for passengers under the age of 15, regardless of the means of transport they're travelling with.

Air passengers can bring slightly more tobacco products into Croatia than those who enter the country by other forms of transport. Those travelling by air can bring in 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars and 250 grams of smoking tobacco. People travelling by road or rail can bring in 40 cigarettes, 20 cigarillos, 10 cigars and 50 grams of smoking tobacco. All passengers can bring the same amount of 50 grams of heated tobacco product, 10 milliliters of e-liquid and 50 grams of the so-called of ''new tobacco products'' from Article 94 paragraph 2 of the Excise Act. When it comes to alcoholic beverages, the same rules apply to travel by road, air and sea transport - everyone is allowed to bring in 16 litres of beer, 4 litres of wine and 2 litres of other alcoholic beverages which have less than 22% alcohol, so one litre of stronger alcoholic beverages.

Meat, fish, cheese, milk, eggs and other products of animal and plant origin

Customs officials carry out official controls on all products of animal origin that are part of the passenger's personal luggage, meaning bringing in meat and milk and meat and milk products isn't permitted whatsoever. Passengers are allowed to bring in 20 kilograms of fresh, dried, cooked, salted or smoked fish, prawns, crabs and mussels per person, however. When it comes to other products of animal origin, such as honey, eggs, egg products, snail meat or frog legs, passengers can enter Croatia carrying up to 2 kg per person of such items. When it comes to plant origin products, you may also bring up to 5 kilograms of fresh fruit and vegetables into the new Schengen Croatia, with the exception of potatoes.

Other products (such as baby food and food for pets, cakes, sweets, nutritional supplements, fuel...)

Passengers from third countries into Schengen Croatia can bring up to 2 kilograms of baby milk powder, baby food and special food used for medical reasons, as well as pet food used for health reasons, provided that it doesn't require refrigeration before opening. Without limit or in quantity for personal use, all travellers can bring bread, cakes, biscuits, waffles and wafers, double-baked bread, toasted bread and similar toasted products with less than 20% processed dairy products and egg products that are stable when left at room temperature.

Many other products such as chocolates and confectionery (including sweets) with less than 50 percent processed dairy products and egg products, food supplements packaged for the final consumer containing smaller amounts (in total less than 20%) of processed animal products can be imported without restrictions, as can processed animal products, olives stuffed with fish, pasta and noodles, soup concentrates and flavour enhancers.

When it comes to fuel, you can transport up to 10 litres of fuel identical to the one in your vehicle in canisters, so you cannot bring in diesel if you're driving a car which runs on petrol.

It is possible to bring ready-made medicines for the personal needs of passengers in quantities necessary for their treatment for up to one month (provided that they're approved by the competent authorities of the country of manufacture) and with the possession of all of the appropriate medical documentation (a transcript of their medical history, a doctor's certificate). Passengers can bring in drugs for the personal needs of the passengers, in the amount needed for treatment up to a maximum of five days, and also with the possession of the appropriate accompanying medical documentation, from which the necessity of taking the respective drug arises. If you decide to take a gamble, know that you can be hit with a massive 100,000 kuna fine if you're caught. The more you tried to bring in, the higher the fine will be.

For more on the brand new Schengen Croatia rules, make sure to check out our news section.

October the 13th, 2022 - Thanks to Croatian border police at the border crossing at Pasjak near the border with Slovenia, one of Europe's most wanted criminals was apprehended and taken to custody.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, on the 11th of October, Croatian border police officers performing their normal duties at the Pasjak border crossing came upon a 27-year-old Croatian citizen who had arrived at the aforementioned border crossing wanting to enter Croatia from Slovenia on foot.

They were met with this man during the regular border control procedures of the entry of passengers into the Republic of Croatia. The Primorje-Gorski Kotar police administration had issued a warrant for the arrest of this particular individual, as was later announced by the police on its website.

They pointed out that the search for the aforementioned individual was initially announced by the County Court in Rijeka owing to their suspicion of the person committing a criminal offense as part of a criminal association, as well as the unauthorised production and trafficking of drugs being tied to them.

In addition to the above, for his arrest, international searches were launched within the Schengen Information System and the INTERPOL database making this person one of Europe's most wanted, as reported by HRT. They emphasised that due to the suspicion of committing the aforementioned criminal acts, the suspect was arrested and escorted to custody.

For more, make sure to keep up with our dedicated news section.

April the 6th, 2022 - Big changes are set to come to Croatian border crossing procedures which should theoretically make some things more simple as Croatian Schengen entry looms.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Croatian Schengen entry will bring with it some major changes when it comes to crossing the country's border, as those Croatia has towards neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro will become the European Union's new external borders, while there will be no control at the borders between Croatia and neighbouring Slovenia and Hungary, both of which are EU member states.

The new regime which is being prepared for as Croatian Schengen entry is on the horizon will also mean changes for the Croatian National Bank, more precisely for the ''examination'' of passengers and estimates of consumption needed to calculate the balance of payments. As a rule, consumption estimates are conducted by surveying tourists and passengers when crossing borders, but after entering the Schengen area, interviewers will have to "catch" passengers at alternative locations before border crossings with Slovenia and Hungary such as at fuel stations, restaurants and resorts.

The Croatian National Bank also stated the new rules in the current public tender for external agencies that will perform the work of surveying and making estimates of the consumption of foreign tourists in Croatia, as well as Croats abroad:

As a rule, such tests are performed at the end of a person's trip abroad, and according to the tender, data will be taken from drivers and passengers in cars and buses, and truck drivers, as well as passengers at airports and seaports. The survey sites will be selected by the agencies, and the surveys will be conducted on a monthly basis for two years.

The target annual sample size that meets the reliability requirement of the survey results was set at 15,050 surveys for resident passengers and 49,700 for non-residents at road and air border crossings. At one exit, 35 surveys are required at the border crossing. The value of this work is estimated at a massive 3.9 million kuna, and the Croatian National Bank's tender for the job is open until April the 29th, 2022.

For more, check out our politics and travel sections.

ZAGREB, 18 Dec, 2021 - Once it enters the Schengen area of passport-free travel, Croatia will not erect a fence on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in an interview with the Večernji List daily Saturday issue.

Commenting on his visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier this week, Plenković said that Croatia supports BiH's sovereignty and integrity as well as its spirit as agreed in Dayton - one state, two entities and three equal constituent peoples, noting that Croatia will not allow the inequality of Croats in relation to the other two constituent peoples.

"My position is clear and I reiterated it once again in Sarajevo and Mostar - Croatia will not erect a fence or a wall on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. That border connects us and that will remain so after Croatia's accession to the Schengen area. But that makes cooperation between our police forces and other relevant services extremely important, so that we can prevent illegal migrations," he said.

Schengen entry is not only a major privilege, it is also a major obligation for Croatia. Our state border with BiH, Serbia and Montenegro will become the external Schengen border and that is why effective, responsible and thorough control of the border will be a permanent task of the Croatian border police, Plenković said.

He added that agreement was reached during his visit to Sarajevo on the continuation of talks on a possible change of the categories of individual border crossings and on facilitating the flow of people and goods in line with EU regulations.

For more on politics, follow TCN's dedicated page.

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ZAGREB, 21 Oct 2021 - The external borders of the European Union need to be protected, but without violence and by respecting human rights, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said in the European Parliament on Wednesday.

"Violence at our borders is never acceptable. Especially if it is structural and organized. We must protect our EU external borders while upholding fundamental rights. And it’s possible to do both," Johansson said during a plenary debate on violent pushbacks of migrants at the EU external borders.

The EU must protect its borders and must protect human rights, she stressed.

Earlier this month, several European media outlets published footage of violent pushbacks of migrants at the Croatian border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Similar footage of pushbacks of migrants from Romania and Greece was also shown at the time.

Shortly after the publication of the footage, Croatian Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović said that the masked men shown in the footage were police officers, after which three policemen were suspended from duty.

Johansson said she had spoken with the Romanian, Greek, and Croatian ministers of the interior.

"The Croatian minister announced an investigation. Since then, Croatia’s national chief of police said that three policemen involved in violent pushbacks will face disciplinary proceedings. And I received assurances that any necessary follow-up action will be taken," she said and added: "It is the duty of national authorities to investigate allegations and follow-up any wrongdoing."

Anže Logar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, the current EU president, said that effective control of the external borders is key to preventing security risks, illegal border crossing, and possible migratory pressure.

All tools need to be used to monitor who enters the European Union, Logar said, adding that pushbacks must not be allowed on EU soil.

The Commission's views were criticized by Social Democrat, Green, and Liberal members of the European Parliament.

Children are freezing and dying at Europe's borders and your greatest concern is border protection and Schengen, Dutch Liberal MEP Sophia in 't Veld said.

German Social Democrat Birgit Sippel said that a systematic attack on human rights is taking place at the EU's external borders and that the footage from the Croatian, Romanian and Greek borders is a scandal for the EU.

On Wednesday, Sippel, together with the leader and deputy leader of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats group, Iratxe Garcia Perez and Simona Bonafé, sent a letter to the Commission president expressing concern about "the highly alarming systematic nature of pushbacks of vulnerable people, often involving violence."

The letter says that such practices are especially alarming in the Aegean Sea, at the EU's border with Belarus, and on the Western Balkan route.

"It is also alarming that the latest investigations suggest that parts of the material used to carry out pushbacks are seemingly paid for with EU money. This includes approximately €177 million that have been granted to Croatia for 'migration management between 2014 and today," the letter says.

The three MEPs said that requesting member states to investigate pushbacks is not enough, calling on the Commission to launch infringement procedures against Poland, Greece, and Croatia.

On the other hand, right-wing MEPs criticized the Commission for taking a soft stance, calling for putting up a razor-wire fence at the external borders.

I haven't heard anyone complaining about security checks in the European Parliament. Why wouldn't we better protect Europe with razor wire and armed personnel to ensure security? said Danish MEP Petar Kofod, a member of the Identity and Democracy group.

Croatian MEP Karlo Ressler (EPP/HDZ) said that people trafficking is one of the most profitable criminal activities and "an instrument of perfidious pressure on Europe."

He said that the EU urgently needs a common response in which the policy of preventing illegal migration has no alternative. He, however, noted that there is no room for violence against migrants in Europe and that any individual violation of human rights, especially the human rights of the most vulnerable groups, is totally unacceptable.

Ressler said that Croatia, with a modernized police force and without erecting razor wire fences, is performing its legal obligation and duty to protect its own border and the border of the European Union.

Sunčana Glavak (EPP/HDZ) said that the Croatian police are doing an excellent job in protecting the territory of Croatia and the EU.

She pointed out that Croatia has so far arrested over 3,000 people traffickers at the border and prevented 30,000 attempts at crossing its border illegally.

"Dear colleagues, the Republic of Croatia is guarding your border too, the border of the European Union, in a legal way," she concluded.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 9 Oct, 2021 - President Zoran Milanović said on Saturday he was confident the case of Croatian police who took part in violence against migrants on the Bosnian border was an isolated case, adding that police must not act like that and that it was good that measures were being taken.

"I believe it's an isolated case because otherwise that would be seen and known. Police must not act like that and that's obviously overstepping one's authority," he told the press in Osijek.

"But we must also talk about the police officers who are doing a very tough job every day year-round for modest pay and are protecting the Croatian border. That's a tough job in the interest of the wider community. I wouldn't want the police as a service to be stigmatised because of this," he added.

"Somebody has to protect the border, border equals state. People coming to the border without authorisation and want to cross it are committing a criminal offence. Those are facts," he said, calling for resolving the recently reported case of Croatian police beating illegal migrants.

"If accountability is established, there should be consequences and punishment, but a problem remains. People, perhaps even families, gather on the Croatian border every day, who want to cross the border and go somewhere else, but that's illegal," he added.

Asked if there was individual or command responsibility in the latest case, Milanović said he did not know.

"I don't believe anyone ordered that. It's evidently an isolated case. I hope we have solved that. The border problem remains. We see that some states, our partners in the European Union a little more to the east, would like the European Union's border to have a fence. I wouldn't want that. I find it inhumane."

The president was in Osijek to attend a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the Osijek Independent Air Platoon.

For Croatia's latest news, CLICK HERE.

ZAGREB, 7 Oct 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Thursday he had talked with Interior Minister Davor Božinović about violent pushbacks of migrants from the Croatian border with Bosnia and Herzegovina and expected a report from all relevant services to see what had actually happened. 

"Last night I immediately called Minister Božinović to ensure that the Ministry and police take all the necessary measures and investigate the matter so that we see what happened and take appropriate decisions, because Croatia, as a country governed by the rule of law, respects its own laws and international rules. We do not want any actions that might be connected with the state and that are not in accordance with our legal system," Plenković said at a cabinet meeting.

"We have a duty to protect our border and prevent illegal migration. We appreciate the role of the Croatian police in protecting the border in the last few years after our continent has become a destination for migrations, which are often illegal and led and organized by smugglers who benefit from the misfortunes of many people who for various reasons left their homes," he added.

Likewise, We Can! party on Thursday described the treatment of migrants as shown by footage of violence on the border as unacceptable, calling on the police management to leave border protection to somebody else if they were not up to the task.

Footage of masked police beating migrants at the border. (Telegram.hr)

The latest footage of violence against refugees and migrants on our borders reveals serious problems in the way the Ministry of the Interior is dealing with the challenges of migration, the opposition party said in a Facebook post, thus joining in numerous reactions to videos showing the brutal beating of migrants on the border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"If the current police leadership is not up to the task, it is time other people assumed the responsibility of protecting the border. The current approach to migrations is unacceptable and we once again support all police employees who do not agree with it and who have been warning about it for some time," the party said, recalling that it had warned on a number of occasions that the border can be protected without the use of violence and violation of human rights.

"The latest footage proves that we either have organized groups of thugs who beat refugees or police who remove their insignia and use force and beatings to drive people out of Croatia. Either means a defeat of the idea of a law-based state and human rights protection."

Božinović either denying the problem or announcing probes without an epilogue

The party went on to say that the Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović was "either denying the problem or announcing investigations without an epilogue."

It called on the minister and the prime minister to clearly say what was going on, who was responsible, and why they had not prevented the criminal activity on the border.

Minister Božinović said earlier today that an investigation had been launched to establish if the footage broadcast was authentic, noting that there was no tolerance to violence in the police.

Asked by reporters if he, too, was responsible if it turned out that the footage was authentic, Božinović said, "Why should I be personally responsible?"

He added that nobody had been given an order to use force, except in cases defined by the law, and that most situations on the border did not warrant such conduct.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 12 Sept, 2021 - The Croatian government is doing the right thing by stopping illegal migrants at the Croatian border, the spokesman for the ruling Danish Social Democratic Party, Rasmus Stoklund, told Hina in an interview. 

He would not comment on criticisms by some organisations of the methods allegedly used by the Croatian border police in turning back migrants.

It would be easy for me as a Danish politician to sit here and criticise the situation in another EU member state that first deals with the problem, Stoklund said, noting that his country assists EU member states facing attempts at illegal immigration.

The Social Democrat member of the Danish parliament defended Denmark's strict immigration and integration policy, saying that the Danish approach is increasingly accepted in the European Union.

Denmark has adopted a very clear strategy to avoid taking in refugees from the Middle East and African countries every year. We are witnessing a culture clash in many areas, notably in attitude towards work, universal freedoms and how children should be raised, Stoklund said.

Denmark has a reputation as one of the happiest countries in the world, but in recent years it has attracted attention with its "zero refugees" strategy.

Stoklund said that the long-term aim of the laws passed this year is to reduce the number of applications for asylum in Denmark to zero.

Danish media have said that the government is negotiating this with Egypt, Eritrea, Rwanda and Ethiopia.

Two years ago, only 2,716 people applied for asylum in Denmark, eight times less than in 2015.

Although this initiative is gaining support in Denmark, it is giving rise to concern in the international community, with the UNHCR saying that it is against the international principles of cooperation on refugees.

Stoklund expects this policy to discourage refugees from heading to Europe. He said that the money that would be saved on support to immigrants who are not entitled to political asylum would be spent on development projects in their countries of origin. 

Stoklund expressed satisfaction that a majority of EU member states follow the same principle as Denmark - refugees should be assisted in the adjacent countries where they are currently staying before they set out to Europe.

At the last European Council meeting we were very happy to see that none of the European countries wanted to send a signal to refugees from Afghanistan to come to Europe. The countries have realised that the situation like the one in 2015 is untenable, the Danish MP said.

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