Visigrad Post, “Croatia aligns herself on Berlin’s policy”, 29 Sept 2016:

Croatia – Interior Minister Vlaho Orepić is serene and does not think that a new migratory wave will hit the country. According to him no significant flow of migrants will affect Croatia, or even Europe.

“There is no place for ‘fear’. It is true that Europe is in a latent state of migrant crisis. Croatia as a member of the European Union shares that fate, and the recent summit of countries on the migrant route to Vienna was simply a result of the need to find the best and most rational solutions,” said Mr. Orepić.

He reported that the joint solution on which the EU has agreed was the extension of the agreement with Turkey, as well as protection of external borders, which until now has been quite significant.

Also, the Minister stressed that, in a month, Croatia had decreased from 100 daily arrivals of migrants to 10 or 15 per day. He is not worried about a possible migration stream as his country has already experienced, “at this moment, there is really nothing to indicate that there will be a large migrant wave. There is a latent danger, it is true, but if these common objectives are met, I am confident that the migrant wave will not arrive,” said the Minister Orepić.

Neighboring countries, Hungary, Austria, Slovenia, have committed more troops, builds barriers, it is a “plan B”, as Mr Orbán said. About this, the Croatian minister said: “We have the plan B, but the fact is that we have not caused the migrant crisis and we will not solve it. During the wave last year, we were dealing with consequences, and we would do it now as well. It is very important to be rational”.

Because of the Dublin Protocol, a number of migrants is returned to Croatia. Mr. Orepić said that Croatia is a responsible member of the EU. “We will carry out our obligations. We have the obligation to accept these people, as well as to accommodate another 1,582 people.”

He added that Croatia had the resources to welcome migrants.

For two months, a significant number of migrants are trying to cross the border from Serbia to Croatia. They come from Pakistan, Afghanistan or Iraq.

        Not good.