Croatia’s accession to EU leads to expected rise in asylum seekers

As Croatia becomes the newest EU's member state from 1^st July, observers are expecting an anticipated rise in asylum seekers in this country.

Human Rights Watch noted that Croatia's reception centres are already overcrowded with hundreds of unaccompanied children in need of specialised protection standards.

Brussels-based Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) drew similar conclusions in a study published earlier this week. The reports show Croatian centres under an additional strain because of a dysfunctional asylum system in Macedonia. Macedonia has not granted anyone asylum since 2011.

Deplorable conditions and violence at Skopje reception centres are forcing arrivals to seek protection elsewhere.

The European Commission, for its part, says Croatia has met EU asylum standards but recognizes some areas could be improved. But JRS said conditions at asylum centres in Croatia are far from satisfactory because they lack staff and funding.