Croatian Authorities Arrested Almost 1,700 Migrant Smugglers in 2023

Croatia’s Interior Minister, Davor Božinović has revealed that nearly 1,700 migrant smugglers had been arrested in Croatia in 2023 since the country became a member of the Schengen Area, representing an increase of 80 per cent from the previous year.

During the panel titled ‘Schengen today and tomorrow: security perspective,’ held at the European Parliament meeting in Zagreb, Minister Božinović said that the number of illegal crossings into Croatia is up by 40 per cent and the majority of those attempting illegal entry are from Afghanistan, Türkiye and Russia, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

These smugglers reportedly charge around €5,000 for facilitating the illegal crossing of Croatian territory, and this European country has witnessed an 80 per cent increase compared to other years. This means that approximately a third of the total number of smugglers arrested within the European Union were arrested in Croatia.

Minister Božinović said that the influx of migrants is not expected to drop but fewer arrivals compared to 2015 are entering the country. While almost a decade ago people were fleeing war, these days, the majority are leaving for economic reasons.

Some countries that once said that it was a human rights issue are now saying that they no longer have the capacity and that they can no longer do it.

Nonetheless, Božinović denied the need for assistance from Frontex, the European border guard agency and noted that Croatia’s borders are being watched over by some 6,700 border and several thousand intervention police officers, “five times larger than the total composition of Frontex”, as the Minister noted.

Siniša Hajdaš Dončić, Member of Parliament and President of the Committee for Internal Policy and National Security rated the approach of the Croatian police as “very good.”

In addition, he expressed his disagreement with right-wing political options that call for the deployment of the army or razor wire on the border, saying it has not proven to be successful in countries that have previously implemented the measure, such as the United States.

On the other hand, Karlo Ressler, a representative in the European Parliament, warned that a fifth of those ordered to be deported after a final court decision, continue their stay in the Union, which is unacceptable.

Today, those who need protection the most do not come to the EU, but those who can afford it. If we want to have legal migration and help those who are most vulnerable, we must have order.

In addition to efforts to reduce illegal migration, Croatia, like other countries in the EU remains in need of foreign labour.  A total of 160,000 permits were issued by Croatian authorities until November, a growing number compared to 124,000 issued last year.