NewsCroatia's penitentiary system strained amid migrant crisis: A surge in smuggler arrests

Croatia's penitentiary system strained amid migrant crisis: A surge in smuggler arrests

Migrants who manage to reach the territory of the Republic of Croatia generally stay only for a short time. They cross the eastern native border before heading west. Official data indicates that as many as 70,000 registered entrants were present last year.

Mass migration and human trafficking are problems in many countries.
Mass migration and human trafficking are problems in many countries.
Images source: © Getty Images | 2021 Getty Images

Jan 22, 2024 | updated: 3:41 PM EST, January 22, 2024

According to Croatian service Jutarnji. hr, applying for asylum at the nearest border police station is essentially a formality enabling migrants to legalize their status and continue their journey with much less apprehension. In this way, the country serves as a mere "transit hub" along their route.

Nonetheless, this does not indicate that mass migrations have no impact on the functionality of various services. Data from the Ministry of Justice reveals an average of about 180 registered migrants pass through Croatia daily, and approximately five smugglers transporting these individuals for profit are captured.

Last Friday, a police chase of a suspect van carrying 32 foreigners ended in a road accident on Kustošijanska Street in Zagreb. Nearly twenty police officers tracked down a Moldovan who had exited the A-1 highway and crashed through a protective fence in Lučki.

Croatian prisons overwhelmed with migrant smugglers

The man who committed three crimes concurrently - smuggling people, fleeing from the police, and causing an accident - will be arrested and subsequently incarcerated. The detained migrants also require care - provisions must be made for their accommodation, food, and medical check-ups. Additionally, translators and officials must prepare all required documents and initiate processes concerning their illegal border crossing.

According to the report, one in every seven people currently held in Croatian prisons or detention centers is a smuggler.

"The Directorate for the Prison System and Probation has identified the necessity to provide support to prison system officials when communicating with prisoners who do not speak Croatian and hail from over 50 different countries. Utilizing ICT technology as an auxiliary communication tool with people from various linguistic backgrounds is the only logical step," state Croatian authorities.

Related content
© essanews.com
·

Downloading, reproduction, storage, or any other use of content available on this website—regardless of its nature and form of expression (in particular, but not limited to verbal, verbal-musical, musical, audiovisual, audio, textual, graphic, and the data and information contained therein, databases and the data contained therein) and its form (e.g., literary, journalistic, scientific, cartographic, computer programs, visual arts, photographic)—requires prior and explicit consent from Wirtualna Polska Media Spółka Akcyjna, headquartered in Warsaw, the owner of this website, regardless of the method of exploration and the technique used (manual or automated, including the use of machine learning or artificial intelligence programs). The above restriction does not apply solely to facilitate their search by internet search engines and uses within contractual relations or permitted use as specified by applicable law.Detailed information regarding this notice can be found  here.