Croatia to accept up to 550 asylum-seekers in next two years

In the next two years Croatia will accept up to 550 refugees from non-EU countries thus helping, together with other EU members, Greece and Italy which have been experiencing increased pressure on their asylum system, the Croatian government decided at a session on Thursday.

The government's decision on the relocation and resettlement of nationals of third countries who meet conditions for international protection is a response to the numerous humanitarian disasters that have been happening in the Mediterranean lately, and to the resulting increase in pressure on the EU asylum system, primarily in Italy and Greece, where a large number of seekers of international protection as well as displaced people from Syria arrive, Minister of the Interior Ranko Ostojic said.

With this decision the government is implementing the conclusions of the European Council on the provision of assistance to 60,000 people, adopted in late June, which ask EU member-countries to adopt by the end of July national programmes for relocation and resettlement, namely to show solidarity by relocating and resettling seekers of international protection and refugees, said Ostojic.

In the next two years, 40,000 people who have arrived in Greece and Italy will be temporarily relocated to other EU countries, while 20,000 people who are in need of international protection will be resettled.

Croatia will accept 150 people to be resettled and 400 people to be relocated. For that purpose, an inter-agency task force has been set up to be in charge of procedures related to the acceptance, accommodation and integration of refugees.

(Hina) rml

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