February 8, 2023 - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Davor Bozinovic announced on Tuesday the continuation of the strengthening of relations between Croatia and the USA, especially in the Global Entry program after visas for Croatian citizens to enter the USA were abolished, assessing that Croatia has become the most reliable American partner in the region.

As 24Sata writes, visiting the business breakfast of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCam), Bozinovic assessed that the strengthening of relations with the United States of America fell into the background in the public space but that the process of cancelling visas was demanding and conducted in parallel with the entry into Schengen.

From October 23, 2021, Croatians can travel to the United States without a visa by applying to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) for tourist and business trips of up to 90 days.

"Not only did we enter the list of countries whose citizens no longer need a visa to enter the USA, but we also entered the privileged club of only a few European countries that will be part of the Global Entry program," said Bozinovic.

The Global Entry program is a program of the US government that allows pre-approved travellers from countries with the highest level of trust to quickly clear customs upon arrival in the US, explained Bozinovic.

"The program will help those who travel often, and it means a lot in terms of reputation at the state level as well," he said.

He emphasized that it was this "invitation letter" for entry into the Global Entry program that helped with the completion of negotiations and entry into Schengen and that the Ministry of Internal Affairs is connected daily in real time with institutions such as the FBI, the US Border and Customs Agency and the Ministry of Homeland Security, through the program of tracking passengers in the airspace.

He pointed out that Croatia concluded agreements with 190 airlines whose planes arrive or depart from Croatian airports in only a year and a half and that it signed 14 international agreements with the USA.

Croatia has positioned itself as the most reliable partner of the USA in this part of Europe, said Bozinovic.

The executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce, Andrea Doko Jelušić, said that last year had brought outstanding achievements for the business community, important for the business community, such as entry into Schengen and the introduction of a practically visa-free regime with the USA.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

July the 21st, 2022 - Croatia is the first in all of Europe to purchase the brand new Subaru Bell 412EPX helicopters which boast special modules for medical evacuations and search and rescue missions.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, on behalf of the Ministry of the Interior (MUP), Minister of the Interior Davor Bozinovic PhD signed a contract with the American company Bell Textron Inc., for the purchase of two multipurpose Subaru Bell 412EPX helicopters, making Croatia the first to do so.

In this way, based on normal public procurement procedures, the Croatian Ministry of Interior managed to acquire the first Subaru Bell 412EPX in the whole of Europe with a contract value totalling 36,294,975.00 euros including VAT.

The new helicopters will be part of the fleet of the Ministry of the Interior, and will be used for the needs of civil protection and HGSS (Croatian Mountain Rescue Service) rescue operations and emergency medical flights.

This helicopter is currently the most modern version of the Bell 412 platform, whose main benefits are improved durability in terms of increasing the maximum weight and amount of cargo it can carry and transport, as well as an increase in the so-called ''output torque'' by more than 10 percent at impressive speeds of 60 knots.

The aforementioned upgrades mean greater speed and efficiency when performing complex rescue operations and/or medical care, which ultimately significantly affects the timeliness and efficiency of the system's overall response in crisis situations.

Funds for the procurement were provided through the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development through European Union (EU) funds, specifically based on the Competitiveness and Cohesion Operational Pgoramme, as part of a wider project called "Helicopter support to the civil protection system".

The value of the project stands at 273,294,117.65 kuna including VAT, of which 85 percent is made up by grants, or 232,300,000.00 kuna including VAT.

The deadline for the delivery of the ordered helicopters to Croatia is fifteen months from the signing of the contract.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated politics section.

July 20, 2022 - A new security protocol for high-risk football matches in Croatia has been introduced. 

At the Ministry of Internal Affairs headquarters, the Protocol on security at high-risk matches was signed, reports Gol.hr.

The protocol was signed by the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Internal Affairs, Davor Božinović, and the president of the Croatian Football Federation, Marijan Kustić.

The signed Protocol regulates the cooperation in the actions of HNS, clubs, and the police at high-risk matches, in the stadium area and at the stadium, during the preparation and implementation of measures for the arrival of fans at the stadium, their stay at the stadium, and their return from the stadium, all to prevent illegal behavior.

The President of the Croatian Football Federation, Marijan Kustić, thanked the Ministry of the Interior for adopting and signing this Protocol, which will be of help to the clubs and significantly contribute to increasing the safety of fans in stadiums, at Supersport HNL matches and, of course, the Croatia national team:

"We as a Federation will do everything to encourage better cooperation between clubs and, of course, cooperation between clubs and their fans," concluded the president of the Croatian Football Federation.

"The fact is that the security aspect is important to hold football matches, and the police are the ones who take care of public order and safety. The police are responsible for any public gathering, and football matches, especially some, gather tens of thousands of people, and that's why we decided that, in agreement with everyone, we will create a procedural document that will provide answers to everything that has been shown to us in practice as a possible source of unrest, dissatisfaction, and even physical confrontations," Minister Božinović explained.

The Protocol precisely prescribes the procedures that will have to be followed, and they were adopted after an agreement with the Croatian Football Federation, the football clubs, and their security commissioners, or the people who are in charge of the security aspect of the Croatian football clubs.

"We worked intensively on preparing this protocol and did not stay only within the Croatian framework. As you know, we went to Geneva and spoke with the leading people of UEFA, who participate in all these, especially international matches. We explained and presented how we intend to solve it, and I can freely say that we have come to an understanding," Minister Božinović explained.

Minister Božinović also stated that all high-risk matches would be coordinated from the headquarters of the Croatian police, headed by the deputy director general of the police Damir Barić, who was accompanied by the director general of the police Nikola Milina and the head of the administration of public order and security, Dragan Tokić.

"In the operational sense, nothing will be left to chance from the moment the match is declared high-risk, which is declared by the Police Directorate based on some dynamic indicators," said Minister Božinović.

He also explained how they were guided by the common goal of creating conditions in which people would freely come to football matches, in which families would go as they used to, and that everyone would feel as safe as possible. As an additional goal, which, according to what was seen after the Super Cup match and the 1st round of the HNL, is being achieved. He pointed out that reports are written after the matches.

"The standard we are setting now must be the standard for the time to come, and there will certainly be no relaxation when we talk about the behavior of all those who are responsible for security both on the side of HNS and the clubs," concluded Minister Božinović.

The most important thing to point out is the defined rule that should avoid a new "Desinec case" and the clash between Torcida and the police on the highway, that is, the problems that preceded the last derby at Maksimir last season. 

- In cooperation with the representative of the visiting fans, the visiting club will provide refreshments (drinks and food) for the visiting fans during the trip to the match and when returning from the match.

- The home club will provide sanitary facilities and access to drinks and food at the locations of the planned gathering of visiting fans upon their arrival and/or in the stadium area.

- In communication with the visiting club, if necessary, the police will, following the security assessment, implement additional measures to secure the locations intended for visiting fans to rest on the way to the football match and the way back.

The protocol can be read in its entirety here.

To read more about sports in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

ZAGREB, 14 July 2022 - Interior Minister Davor Božinović said on Thursday that we were ready for the wildfire season and the services did a good job at the site of Wdnesday's wildfire near Šibenik.

"We were prepared for the wildfire season and services did a good job. We have to be aware that climate change is the main change that is occurring and will continue in the years to come."

Božinović underscored that the Mediterranean, along with California, is one of the world's two biggest hotspots when it comes to global warming.

Speaking about the wildfires that hit the Šibenik area on Wednesday, Božinović said that forces in the Šibenik and Vodice hinterland gradually increased, depending on how the situation developed, primarily due to unexpected changes in wind directions.

The minister specified that a total of 350 firefighters were engaged on Wednesday, mostly from Šibenik-Knin County, and half of them from six other counties, as well as 50 members of the Croatian Army and 75 police officers.

Asked how many fire-fighting aircraft Croatia has at its disposal, Božinović replied that there are currently four Canadair planes and three air-tractors available.

"By 23 July, we will have one more air-tractor, and by 30 July, one more air-tractor and one Canadair aircraft." This means that as of 1 August, Croatia should have five Canadairs and five air-tractors at its disposal. Another Canadair, which is being overhauled, should be ready by the end of the year,'' he specified.

Božinović on EPPO action: I encourage the institutions to protect the interests of Croatia and the EU

Asked to comment on the latest action by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) and the PNUSKOK - police anti-corruption office regarding alleged bribes and the rigging of the tender process for the extension and reconstruction of the wastewater treatment plant in Varaždin, Božinović said that all institutions have a free hand in enforcing the law.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 29 June 2022 - By fulfilling the conditions for entry into the US Visa Waiver Program, Croatia has become a model for its functioning in the future, Croatia's Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović said in Washington after meeting with US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.

"Acceding to the Visa Waiver Program was a challenging process for us, during which we concluded 14 international legal acts on cooperation and exchange of information. We have technically implemented all of them through databases and thus largely increased the capacity of our security services in detecting and reducing risk and ensuring even more effective checks of all persons crossing the border," Božinović said.

He pointed out that in the course of intensive cooperation to fulfil all the requirements for accession to the program, Croatia had become fully connected with all air carriers flying to or out of Croatia.

Commitment to meeting criteria for accession to Global Entry program

Božinović added that Croatia was equally committed to meeting the criteria for accession to the Global Entry program, which allows expedited clearance for pre-approved travellers entering the United States and which so far includes only three European Union countries.

Inclusion in both programs is a clear confirmation of the high standards that Croatia has implemented in the last few years in combating terrorism, exchanging operational information, border management, and increasing the security of identity and travel documents, as well as trust between our two countries, he said.

"We have agreed on the final harmonisation of forms for acquiring the status of trusted traveller, the completion of establishment of special information links and the conclusion of Addendum C to the joint statement I signed with Assistant Secretary of State Gabriel Escobar in Zagreb this April," Božinović said.

He noted that all this is an expression of trust on part of the US in Croatia and their partnership in efforts to encourage necessary reforms in southeastern Europe in order to promote democracy and rule of law.

Meetings at the State Department, Customs agency and Coast Guard

The meeting with Julieta Valls Noyes, Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration, focused on Croatian efforts in curbing illegal migration, land border control, combating smuggling, and accepting Ukrainian refugees.

During talks with Chris Magnus, Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, Božinović thanked the team who are working with Croatian colleagues to help Croatia join the Trusted Traveler and Global Entry program.

He said that they discussed the work of Croatian police and customs and the systems they use in managing the EU's longest external land border. He noted that Croatia was the best among all Interpol members in terms of the number of checks and hits in the Schengen Information System.

The meeting with Admiral Steven D. Poulin, Deputy Commander of the US Coast Guard, which is part of the Department of Home Security, focused on cooperation with the Croatian maritime police, port authorities, Customs Administration and the Fisheries Inspectorate.

"Croatia has a long maritime tradition and in this area we have opened up the possibility of cooperation in training and exchange of experience with the US," Božinović said.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 28 June 2022 - Croatian Interior Minister Davor Božinović met in Washington on Monday with high officials of the US departments of defense and justice ahead of a meeting with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday.

Božinović began his United States tour by meeting with Assistant Defense Secretary Celeste Wallander at the Pentagon.

They confirmed the two sides' readiness to cooperate further and continue with all the necessary allied measures against the Russian aggression on Ukraine.

They expressed the wish to continue the transatlantic cooperation and the need for strong engagement in the stabilization of Western Balkan countries, notably Bosnia and Herzegovina, including ensuring the continuation of the peace operation there.

"Maintaining US-EU unity and partnership is of key importance, which is also the clear position of the US administration, notably in light of the aggression on Ukraine. We are all aware that this crisis will not be short and that there will be challenges we must solve together in order to maintain the democratic order and the shared way of life," Božinović said.

"I'm sure that in the coming period the US and the EU, with Croatia's active role as a member of Euro-Atlantic institutions, will pay special attention to Southeast Europe, stability, and democratic development," he added.

Božinović then met with Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco at the Department of Defense.

They concluded that the bilateral cooperation in security is strong and that Croatia and the United States have the same goal, to strengthen the security environment and the rule of law.

"Strengthening transatlantic ties is of exceptional significance, first and foremost the cooperation in the fight against terrorism, organized crime, in cyber security and electronic evidence exchange," said Božinović.

Croatia has committed to cyber security cooperation by joining the US Counter Ransomware Initiative.

"The common goal is further cooperation in insuring electronic evidence, which will be regulated by adopting the Umbrella Agreement between the US and the EU," Božinović said.

On Tuesday, before meeting with Mayorkas, he will meet with Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus and Assistant Secretary of State Julieta Valls Noyes.

The Croatian minister will wrap up his Washington visit by talking with Coast Guard Vice Commandant Steven D. Poulin.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 8 May 2022 - It is difficult to say at this point when we could expect progress on the case of the Croatian national who has been taken prisoner by Russian forces in Ukraine, Interior Minister Davor Božinović said on Sunday.

"Croatia is doing and will continue to do all it can. The situation is difficult in that he was arrested by Russian forces. We have sought information through our diplomatic service and will continue following this case, seeking answers to the questions, first of all those asked by his family. That is our obligation under the constitution and law," Božinović told the press in Zagreb.

The Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs said on Saturday that a Croatian national had been taken prisoner in Ukraine and that it was dealing with the case in cooperation with Ukrainian authorities. Russian media said that "a Croatian mercenary" had been captured in Mariupol.

"Considering the circumstances, at this point I cannot predict when we could expect any progress," Božinović said.

He said that any Croatian nationals who may be fighting in that war are doing that at their own risk and that the Croatian government is not involved in it in any way.

Commenting on today's visit to Ukraine by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman, Božinović said: "I think this visit is a strong gesture of statesmanship and a sign of support to Ukraine that has been going on since the first day of the Russian aggression."

The visit came nearly two and a half months after Russia launch a military invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.

"I don't think this visit by the Croatian prime minister differs in any way from visits made by several prime ministers a while ago, by the UN secretary general, the US secretaries of state and defence, and the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission," Božinović said, adding that the visit was organised in the same way as other such visits given the security situation in Ukraine.

He recalled that Croatia had sent various types of aid to Ukraine and pledged to send €5 million in aid at a donors' conference in Warsaw on Thursday, and that more than 17,000 Ukrainians have found refuge in Croatia.

For more, check out our politics section.

April 5, 2022 - The European Court of Human Rights rejected Croatia's request to reconsider the case of the family of little Madina Hosseini, which confirmed the previous verdict and the responsibility of the Republic of Croatia for the tragedy arising from it. Interior Minister Davor Božinović says his resignation is ''not on the table'' following the ruling.

Tportal.hr reports that, in the tragic death of six-year-old Madina Hosseini, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) last year found the Republic of Croatia responsible for numerous human rights violations under the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms: the right to life, the prohibition of torture and inhuman treatment, the prohibition of the collective expulsion of aliens, the right to security and liberty and the right to institute legal proceedings. The Republic of Croatia requested a reconsideration of the case, but the court rejected the request on Monday. The Center for Peace Studies reported on its Facebook page, stating that the case of little Madina Hosseini is finally over.

''The Grand Council of the European Court of Human Rights rejected the request of the Republic of Croatia to reconsider the case of little Madina's family and thus reaffirmed the verdict that the Republic of Croatia violated Madina's right to life, treated children inhumanely, kept the whole family illegally, and part of the family was collectively expelled from Croatia, and after all that, they were denied access to lawyers'', Center for Peace Studies shared on their Facebook page.

Madina Hosseini (Photo: Hosseini family)

The Office of the Croatian Representative before the European Court of Human Rights also informed that the verdict had been passed and that it had become final by rejecting the Croatian request.

''On April 4, 2022, a committee of five judges of the Grand Council of the European Court of Human Rights rejected the request of the Republic of Croatia to submit the case of MH to the Grand Council. Thus, the judgment of the Council of 18 November 2021 became final and the procedure of its execution will follow'', the Office said in a statement.

The full verdict of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of little Madina Hosseini on 18 November 2021 can be read (in Croatian) in Tportal's original article.

This judgment of the ECHR confirms various problems that many actors have been pointing out for many years and about which we report to the Croatian Parliament, the competent authorities, and the public. This primarily refers to the lack of an effective investigation into allegations of human rights violations of migrants, which is necessary in order for the authorities to dispel suspicions or confirm the allegations, Ombudsman Tena Simonovic Einwalter said in November last year.

In this case, it also referred to the work of the police, the State Attorney's Office, and the judiciary, with the ECHR assessing the effectiveness of the investigation in a different way than the Constitutional Court and, among other things, the way in which the effectiveness of the investigation was examined was indicated in a separate opinion by three judges. To maintain the rule of law in which no one, especially the police, can be above the law, an effective investigation is crucial, taking into account information provided by the mother and police officers about the tragic event, which includes all available information to establish the factual situation (including recordings of thermal imaging cameras, data on the movement and location of police officers by recording the signals of their mobile devices, police vehicles via GPS devices or members of the Hosseini family via their mobile devices), said Ombudswoman Simonovic Einwalter. According to the judgment of the ECHR, and as we ourselves warned, the competent authorities failed to do so, she added.

In the part related to the restriction of freedom of movement of Madina's family with eight children, they warned that it was not clear which procedures were used during the individual assessment of whether other measures, alternatives to detention, could have served the same purpose. In doing so, the proceedings themselves were conducted in the English language, which M. Hosseini's mother did not understand.

How has the Croatian Interior Minister responded?

The Center for Peace Studies issued a statement today stating that "after this strong and final confirmation of the verdict, the Government of the Republic of Croatia and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković can no longer turn their heads, but must urgently dismiss those responsible led by Interior Minister Davor Božinović''.

Minister of Interior, Davor Božinović, at the US-Croatian Forum in Zagreb which began yesterday. (Photo: Igor Soban/PIXSELL)

Following the ECHR ruling, Božinović said today that "his resignation is not on the table", N1 reports.

"As a minister, I can say, as I said, that it is a tragedy. That it affects us all. Certain investigative actions have been carried out, the court has concluded what it has concluded and we need to take measures to improve the system. My resignation is not on the table."

He said the responsibility in such cases is on the system.

"We have to see what are all the things that can and should be corrected. This was the case in other cases as well. The point of these judgments is to actually fix the system and it is always a matter of correcting what is stated as a defect. Either through certain solutions when it comes to regulations or by changing some practices. The function of the court is precisely to point out such shortcomings", said the Minister.

Journalists also asked the minister if his position was "on ice" because of this verdict.

"Reconstruction is something the prime minister will decide on."

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 20 March 2022 - Since the start of the war in Ukraine, over 8,300 refugees have arrived in Croatia, and Interior Minister Davor Božinović said on Sunday that Europe was braced for the growing pressure on three fronts: energy security, defence costs and accommodation of refugees.

"This is an unprecedented humanitarian issue in Europe. Thousands, tens of thousands of people are leaving Ukraine. We can expect an influx of refugees in all EU member-states, including Croatia", Božinović noted.

"The United Nations' recent projections about up to four million people fleeing Ukraine seems today as a conservative scenario, since the numbers of refugees are already coming close to that figure" the minister told the press after a meeting of the Croatian interdepartmental task force for providing protection for refugees from Ukraine.

"The talks are being conducted at the European level to coordinate the response to many issues stemming from the war in Ukraine", he said adding that one of the issues is how to finance the accommodation of Ukrainian refugees.

Currently, the EU is offering assistance to the countries neighbouring Ukraine that are the first to receive Ukrainians when they leave their homeland.

Croatia is not among those first-stop countries, however, it is one of the countries where Ukrainians seek shelter, and it is ready to take in roughly 20,000 Ukrainians. However, this figure could go up depending on the developments in Ukraine.

Large majority accommodated individually in private homes

"Of those 8,300 refugees, as many as 7,421 are now covered by individual reception initiatives, and 827 are in collective accommodation", said the minister.

The aim is to ensure as many individual accommodation options as possible throughout Croatia.

"The reception centres are operating well, refugees come there upon their arrival and after that they are transferred to properties where they can stay longer", the minister said.

We have published a public call for 10,000 accommodation units throughout Croatia, and all steps we take will be transparent, he said.

Božinović expressed satisfaction with the organisation of the reception of the refugees from Ukraine and explained that the plans were made to be prepared for possible challenges financially, logistics-like and organisationally.

"Croatia wants to provide the best care and sympathy to those people who have experienced the calamities. The help includes not only accommodation and food but also access to education and the labour market as well as to social welfare services", the minister said recalling that the activation of the Temporary Protection Directive.

Economic and Social Council on including refugees in labour market

Božinović said that the possibility of giving refugees access to the labour market would be on the agenda of the Economic and Social Council (GSV) on Monday.

The fast integration of displaced persons is the best way to provide them with a feeling of stability.

Broken down by the age and gender, a mere 12% of the refugees who have arrived in Croatia from Ukraine are men, 48%  are women and children account for 40%, Božinović said.

He also informed the press conference that in the scenario that Croatia should care for 20,000 refugees, this would cost HRK 1.3 billion provided that the refugees exercise all the rights they are entitled to.

According to some estimates, the daily healthcare costs for a refugee is HRK 15, and 30 kuna for education.

Remuneration for the properties which their owners have put at the disposal to refugees is also being considered, and the minister cited the experiences of other countries where the rental per day ranges between €5-8 per person, however, the figure is reduced for every next member in the family accommodated.

Croatian-Ukrainian web portal

The interior ministry has also developed a website with the data in both the Croatian and Ukrainian language concerning the refugees, their rights and entitlements and information for prospective volunteers. The website will be updated regularly on a daily basis.

For more on this, check out our dedicated politics section.

ZAGREB, 13 March 2022 - The Ministry of the Interior has upgraded the Enter Croatia application to include the Ukrainian language and alphabet, improving the organisation of the reception of Ukrainian refugees and facilitate their arrival in Croatia.

"This is yet another measure with which the Ministry of the Interior, acting in cooperation with other state authorities, is expressing solidarity with the people of Ukraine and assisting in providing refuge to Ukrainians displaced by the Russian invasion", Minister Davor Božinović told Hina on Sunday.

"The application has proved very useful during the tourist season and the arrival of many foreign tourists, given that the collection of personal details during border checks took quite a lot of time," he added.

The aim of the latest upgrade of the Enter Croatia application is to make it easier for Ukrainian refugees who have passports and intend to stay in Croatia to provide in advance their personal details, address and contact number to facilitate their entry into Croatia. Persons without a passport will have to provide this information at the border crossing.

The Ministry of the Interior is in close contact with the Croatian Ambassador to Ukraine, Anica Djamić, and is doing all in its power to help displaced Ukrainians on their arrival in Croatia, Božinović said.

The Enter Croatia application is aimed at reducing the waiting time at border crossing points. It was developed by the Ministry of the Interior as part of measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus and has been in use since 28 May 2020. Over 12.5 million arrivals have been announced via this app since its introduction.

According to information from Sunday morning, 5,609 Ukrainian refugees are currently staying in Croatia and 88 per cent of them are women and children.

For more on Croatia's response to the Russia-Ukraine war, visit TCN's dedicated page.