ZAGREB, March 3, 2020 - The government takes into account the interests of the Croatian tourism industry and will take measures to mitigate any risks from a possible escalation of the coronavirus situation and the migrant crisis, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in the northern Adriatic resort town of Umag on Monday evening.

Speaking after meeting executives of several large hotel companies, Plenković said that he and Interior Minister Davor Božinović were travelling to Greece on Wednesday to learn first-hand about the situation on the land border between Greece and Turkey.

He said that the representatives of hotel companies had expressed their satisfaction with the way the government was handling the coronavirus situation, without creating panic that might adversely affect the economy and tourism in particular.

Plenković said that Croatia was dealing with the coronavirus situation and the migrant crisis both at the national and the European level. He said that Božinović would be chairing an extraordinary meeting of the EU Home Affairs Council in Brussels on Wednesday.

Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli said that hoteliers were rightfully concerned, but that things were still going according to plan and the tourism industry was still in the black.

"So far we have recorded a 5% rise in arrivals and a 2% rise in overnight stays. March will see some minuses, but there have been no major cancellations for now," Cappelli said, adding that the situation was under control for now. "70% of our tourists come by car and that's our advantage," he noted.

Croatian Tourism Association director Veljko Ostojić said that there was some concern but there was no reason for panic. "Certain smaller groups who were due to come in the early season are cancelling their visits, certain events and conferences are also being cancelled, but what is positive is that there have been no cancellations for the peak season, although booking is rather slow," he said.

More coronavirus news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

March 2, 2020 - Davor Božinović, the Interior Minister of Croatia, emphasised that there is no need to send the army to the border, because Croatia deals with illegal migrants daily. He added that Croatia’s border protection system maintains communication with colleagues from other countries on every level. And they are working together to pursue a diplomatic solution.

Croatia Eastern Border: No Increase in Illegal Migration

“There has been no reported increase in illegal migration on Croatia's eastern borders. The police are doing their job and the situation is no different than yesterday or the day before. Croatia has been dealing with illegal migration every day for almost three years now. That is why, even with these new circumstances, we can confirm that our border protection system fully operational and doing its job,” Interior Minister Davor Božinović said today. He noted that presently there is no need to send the army to the Croatian border, even though that remains a legal possibility, according to Marina Borovac/Večernji List on March 2, 2020.

“We will see how the situation on the Greek and Bulgarian borders develops, in relation to Turkey’s recent actions (release of migrants from their country). We are in close contact with our colleagues (from other countries) on every level. One direction we are going is certainly the diplomatic route. After all, the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Parliament will visit the Greek border tomorrow to see the situation there. At the same time, talks are underway with the Turkish leadership, which is part of the diplomatic role. The aim is to return to the EU-Turkey agreement of 2016,” Božinović added, and is confident that diplomacy would be the goal.

Croatia Will Discuss Border Assistance to Greece, Bulgaria

Božinović announced an upcoming meeting of European interior ministers to discuss what assistance can be sent to Greece and Bulgaria. He says both countries are committed to deterring illegal migration, which is in the wake of the new European Commission's policy regarding the protection of the EU's external borders. Božinović recalled that there was a migrant wave in 2015 because Greece had allowed migrants to pass through their territory.

“This is the only way to prevent the 2015 and 2016 scenario from happening again. Today, not only Greece, but every country has made their objectives very clear regarding the protection of their borders along the so-called Western Balkan route,” the interior minister concluded.

Croatia will emphasize its plight with protecting Europe's borders, but reiterates that the issue of the migrant crisis can only be resolved through (the agreement upon) a common European policy.

Follow our Politics page and this page to keep up-to-date on the migrant crisis along the Western Balkan route in Croatia.

ZAGREB, March 2, 2020 - A very small number of migrants will manage to reach Europe, and tensions caused by this matter will decrease in the coming days, Croatian President Zoran Milanović said after meeting with his Austrian counterpart Alexander Van der Bellen in Vienna on Monday.

"It is precisely because of what we as Europe went through nearly five years ago and what has been done in the meantime that it is impossible for a refugee wave of that scope to occur again, it is simply physically impossible," Milanović said, referring to 2015 when over a million refugees had arrived in Europe from the Middle East.

"What we are seeing is a political struggle and manipulating with people," he said and added: "I dare predict that a very small number of people will manage to break through the barriers" and "tensions will calm down within a few days."

Milanovic said that in 2015, when he was prime minister, "certain lessons had to be learnt", and that today it was simply not true that migrants currently staying in Turkey were in danger. He noted that the rules of international humanitarian law needed to be respected.

Van der Bellen said that the border countries such as Greece and Bulgaria should not be left in the lurch in that regard, adding that he did not know what Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan actually wanted to achieve by opening the border to Europe for migrants.

Erdogan said in Ankara on Monday that European leaders were now calling him to discuss closing the border, but that it was too late for that now and that the path to Europe would remain open.

"There will be talks with Turkey to see what they actually want," the Austrian president said, adding that Europe would continue to face the problem of illegal migration as long as the situation in Syria does not change.

More news about the migrant crisis can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 2, 2020 - The head of the national civil protection authority, Damir Trut, said on Sunday the border police were prepared for a possible migrant wave after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan allowed migrants to head for the European Union.

Trut was commenting for the press on Erdogan's opening of Turkey's borders for migrants to cross into Europe and its possible impact on the spread of coronavirus in Croatia.

"The border police have plans for all activities and are prepared. Not one situation can take them by surprise. All the recommendations the Croatian Public Health Institute (HZJZ) made concerning border crossing and border checks are being respected," Trut said.

HZJZ head Krunoslav Capak recalled the 2015 migrant crisis, saying that after several thousand migrants had entered Croatia, "the migrant wave was put under control."

"We then prepared epidemiological instructions for all the key care providers for migrants," he added.

In a statement carried by the public broadcaster, Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said EU interior ministers would likely meet next week.

Earlier today, European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas, the chief European official in charge of the migration issue, asked Croatia to convene an urgent meeting of EU interior ministers after Turkey said it had allowed over 75,000 migrants to cross its border and head for the EU.

About 6,500 border police are deployed along our border and we don't expect the migrants will enter Croatia, said Capak. Croatia will be prepared if that happens, he added.

Erdogan has said he let the migrants out of Turkey after dozens of his soldiers were killed in air strikes in northern Syria.

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency said today it was sending reinforcements to the Greek-Turkish border and that it was on high alert.

More news about the migrant crisis can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 1, 2020 - European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas, the chief European official in charge of the migration issue, asked Croatia on Sunday to convene an urgent meeting of EU interior ministers after Turkey opened its borders for migrants who want to reach Europe.

In a post on Twitter, Schinas said he contacted Croatian Interior Minister Davor Božinović "to request that EU Home Affairs Ministers meet urgently in an extraordinary JHA Council."

Croatia is currently presiding the Council of the European Union.

Schinas added that he was in ongoing consultations with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

More news about the migrant crisis can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 1, 2020 - Interior Minister Davor Božinović said on Saturday Croatia was prepared for a potential new migrant wave and that for now there was no increase in arrivals on the Western Balkan route.

"For several years now, Croatia has had a plan for the situation we are faced with and for a situation we could be faced with," he told reporters, adding that "at this moment there are no visible increases on the route called Eastern Mediterranean or Western Balkan" and that "there's no worry" about Croatia's preparedness.

Croatian police efficaciously protect the border, Božinović said, adding that "perhaps, unlike in some other countries, such situations are no surprise for us because we are constantly fully operational."

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today that Turkey had opened its borders and that 18,000 migrants were en route to Europe.

The EU relied on Turkey to stop the migrant flow after more than a million people arrived in Europe from the Middle East in 2015.

Božinović said he was in contact with European institutions and that the EU was acting in two directions.

"On the one hand, a diplomatic effort is being made to deescalate the situation in Idlib, while on the other hand humanitarian action is being taken with the approval of €60 million... to ensure accommodation, food and medical care for Syrians" in that Syrian province, he said.

Aid envisaged under the EU-Turkey agreement continues, he added.

More news about the migrant crisis can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, February 29, 2020 - Police have rescued 12 illegal migrants held in the storage compartment of a camper van in the Glina area, about 80 kilometres south of Zagreb, Sisak-Moslavina County Police said in a statement on Friday.

They included three men, two women and seven children, who were all in bad shape and the police "probably saved their lives", the statement said.

They were all tired and exhausted and were immediately given medical attention. They were found in a camper van bearing Polish licence plates during a police check on Sunday February 23 in the village of Prekopa near Glina.

The migrants, all Iraqi nationals, are two families who entered the country illegally and have announced that they will apply for international protection. Five members of one family have been accommodated at the reception centre for asylum seekers in Kutina, while seven members of the other family have been put up in a similar facility in Zagreb.

The van's driver, a 36-year-old Pole and his 34-year-old female companion were arrested for illegally entering the country and were placed in police custody.

Last Friday, near the village of Mlaka in Jasenovac municipality, about 100 kilometres southeast of Zagreb, 19 Iraqi nationals, including five men, six women and eight children, were caught after illegally crossing the border from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Those in poor condition were taken by ambulance to hospital in Pakrac and Sisak. They all said they would formally apply for international protection, and after being discharged from hospital, they have been accommodated in the reception centre for asylum seers in Zagreb.

More news about migrant crisis can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, February 28, 2020 - Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman met with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto in Budapest on Friday and they agreed on the need to fight for a new common asylum policy and against illegal migration.

"It's necessary to fight for a new common asylum policy and against illegal migration and smuggling," Grlić Radman said. "It's necessary to distinguish between refugees, where we are bound by the Geneva Convention, and illegal migration, on which some smuggling rings are making a lot of money."

Budapest and Zagreb share the same views also on EU enlargement and the EU's ambitious Multiannual Financial Framework, Grlić Radman said.

He reiterated that Zagreb and Budapest had "centuries of uninterrupted ties" and excellent relations, that the two peoples were "well-connected" and that, in the European context, the two countries were an example of a good solution concerning minority communities.

The two ministers also talked about Croatia's current presidency of the European Union. Grlić Radman recalled that in 2011, when Hungary chaired the EU, it helped Croatia a lot. "Thanks to Hungary, we completed the negotiations and became an EU member within two years."

More news about the migrant crisis can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, February 19, 2020 - A group of migrants entered the military range in Slunj on Monday and one of them, during an attempt to identify him, tried to escape, jumping from a cliff into a three-metre ravine, but was rescued by Croatian soldiers, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.

The soldiers administered first aid to the migrant who broke one leg, after which an ambulance took him to the Karlovac General Hospital, while the remaining six were turned over to Slunj police.

Croatian soldiers discovered the seven foreign nationals trespassing on the Eugen Kvaternik Military Range in the night between February 17 and 18, the ministry said.

A gravely injured Moroccan citizen has been brought to the Karlovac General Hospital from the Eugen Kvaternik Military Range, hospital director Ervin Jančić said earlier today.

Jančić told Hina the Moroccan with an upper leg fracture and a knee injury was brought to the hospital by police, underwent surgery and that his life was not in danger.

More news about the migrant crisis can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, February 17, 2020 - The situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is critical due to the problem of illegal migrant crisis and it will certainly be even worse as there is still no coordination in taking the necessary measures nor any indication that the new Council of Ministers might take more resolute action, an Una-Sava Canton official says.

"There is no coordination whatsoever between the state and lower level government. Although the Council of Ministers was formed two months ago, there is still no serious response regarding the protection of Una-Sana Canton when it comes to illegal migration," the canton's interior minister, Nermin Kljajić, was quoted as saying in Monday's Nezavisne Novine daily.

Una-Sana Canton is the hardest hit by the migrant crisis. Bihać city authorities estimate that there are about 5,000 illegal migrants in that region. Precise data indicates that 3,500 are accommodated in reception centres, while the rest are left to their own devices, staying in private accommodation if they can afford it, while others sleep in abandoned and dilapidated buildings in urban areas.

Kljajić says all reception centres have been full for a long time and that the situation is critical as BiH has no consolidated migration management plan.

Local police are having a hard time dealing with the challenges as the number of criminal offences is rising and there is no money to hire more officers.

A mild winter has already encouraged illegal migrants to attempt to continue towards BiH's western border, with more and more arriving in Una-Sana Canton every day. According to local police, at least 80 arrive every day and there is no room to accommodate them.

The canton's prime minister, Mustafa Ružnić, has said Bihać fears a likely escalation of the problem. "The worst is yet to come."

According to Ružnić, the cantonal government has asked that the Bira reception centre in Bihać and Miral in Velika Kladuša be dismantled and that a larger transit centre, where all illegal migrants would be accommodated, be set up outside residential areas. A location has been proposed but the state authorities have not taken the time to consider the initiative.

More news about migrant crisis can be found in the Politics section.