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Description
The problems of refugees begin from the moment they arrive in the territory of the Republic of Croatia, where they are exposed to police violence and illegal expulsion from country. Those who manage to stay in Croatia and seek asylum wait up to two years to have their processes resolved. They have no access to language courses or other integration programs. They often lack basic information on how the system works, and even have no access to free legal aid. Once, despite all obstacles, they manage to obtain asylum, which unfortunately only minorities succeed in, the process of their integration remains difficult due to prejudices, low employment, language problems, insufficient qualifications, and difficult access to health, education and accommodation.
The Are You Syrious Association brings together about two hundred volunteers (e.g. highly qualified experts in supportive and related professions and retirees whose knowledge and life experience provide a valuable balance to the theoretical knowledge of younger volunteers and contribute to inter-generational understanding).
Project activities are: monitoring access to the asylum system, collecting testimonies of victims of illegal expulsions and reporting illegalities, and informing those who manage to stay in Croatia about the steps needed to exercise their rights. In addition to individual consultations, asylum seekers and their children are provided with humanitarian aid, Croatian language courses, job search support and support in school and integration.
Expected results are weakened influence of anti-immigrant rhetoric, increased share of people who consider the response to human rights violations as their civic duty and institutions to respond in a timely and effective manner to reported incidents, thus bridging the gap between the law prescribed norms and the actual situation on the ground, which ultimately leads to better protection and greater involvement of asylum seekers in Croatian society.
Summary of project results
The current state of refugee rights in Croatia is significantly below the standards expected in an EU member state, which is founded on values of human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, and respect for human rights, including the rights of minority groups. Since the closure of the humanitarian corridor in 2016, militarization and securitization processes have increasingly dominated the media narrative. Migration, a natural phenomenon throughout human history, has been relegated to the realm of illegality by EU policies. Those seeking refuge in Europe are often treated as threats, while advocates for their rights are criminalized and labeled as smugglers.
The prevailing narrative portrays Croatia merely as a transit country where individuals "buy time" by seeking asylum, neglecting the harsh realities on the ground. These realities include barriers to accessing territory and the asylum system, unchecked police violence, and institutional oppression faced by both migrants and organizations dedicated to their rights.
While Croatian law theoretically offers a high level of protection for individuals under international protection, the practical realization of these rights is often protracted, delayed, or even unattainable. Basic rights for asylum seekers remain largely unknown to many, due to insufficient information about procedures and inadequate access to quality legal assistance.
Identified issues arising from studies on the integration process at both the EU and Croatian levels, as well as the work of our organization, include:
Lack of Quality and Inclusive Croatian Language Courses: There is a particular gap for women and those who only speak their native language, limiting their ability to integrate.
Underutilization of Potential and Expertise: Both the system and the asylum seekers'' skills and knowledge remain largely untapped.
Insufficient Support for Employment: Asylum seekers face challenges in understanding their labor rights and protections against exploitation.
Barriers to Accessing Health Services: Many migrants encounter difficulties in obtaining necessary healthcare.
Limited Opportunities for Positive Interactions: There is a notable lack of avenues for meaningful engagement between the local population and asylum seekers.
Addressing these challenges is crucial for ensuring that the rights of refugees in Croatia align with the values and standards expected of an EU member state.
Our project activities are crucial as we are among the few organizations emphasizing the early integration of asylum seekers and individuals under international protection. Through individualized support programs for employment and the realization of legally guaranteed rights, we have increased employability and prevented the exploitation of asylum seekers in workplaces, which often occurs due to language barriers and lack of legal knowledge.
We successfully prepared users for formal language courses at higher levels through informal introductory Croatian language courses. Language courses are fundamental for integration, but despite the Croatian Law on International and Temporary Protection mandating language courses for individuals under international protection, organized classes often do not take place. Our courses are invaluable as they foster the building of new connections and contacts within the local community. Activities focused on language and literacy courses enabled 33 users to acquire basic Croatian language skills (exceeding the target of 30) and allowed 10 users to learn Latin script. In partnership with the City of Zagreb, we secured funding for two additional language courses for 20 more participants in 2022.
The support provided by volunteers in the "Braco i seka" program is essential for language acquisition and the educational integration of children into a school system that often fails to meet the needs of non-native speakers. Through their volunteer engagement, future professionals directly confront intercultural issues and integration challenges faced by asylum seekers in Croatia, equipping themselves for future work. In the past year, 48 children from 21 families received support from volunteers, surpassing our expectations. This program has influenced the development of projects at the Gustav Krklec Primary School, which accommodates children from the asylum seeker reception center in Zagreb, recognizing the importance of individualized support for non-native speaking children.
In our social supermarket, we successfully created a safe and dignified space for intercultural and humanitarian exchange, transcending boundaries between "us and them" and "locals and foreigners," aiming to foster a welcoming society. Our Free Shop operates as a sustainable model that provides both humanitarian and ecological solutions, allowing the community to donate goods while volunteers dedicate their time to meet the basic life needs of vulnerable asylum seekers, individuals under international protection, and anyone in need. This model serves as a prototype for establishing practices within various institutions and as a best practice example for other local communities.
Asylum seekers are regular volunteers and users of our social supermarket, providing us with daily insights into activities and potential violations of their rights within the reception center, which we address by notifying the Ombudsman.
We have influenced a shift in the negative perception of asylum seekers and individuals under international protection, mobilizing the community to actively participate in their integration. This is evidenced by the increasing number of volunteers in our programs and donations from citizens to our social supermarket. Our social media presence has grown, with 52,000 followers on our Facebook page, 3,500 on Instagram, and 3,000 on our Medium page.
In 2022, we conducted four presentations of our organization at universities, including the Medical Faculty, Faculty of Humanities (Pedagogy Department), Teacher Education Faculty, and Faculty of Law (Social Work). During these visits, 90 students were sensitized to the challenges faced by asylum seekers, enhancing their competencies as future workers in health care, social work, and education sectors.
Through systematic monitoring at borders in collaboration with partners from the Border Violence Monitoring Network, we documented a total of 1,088 individual victims of illegal pushbacks and police violence, organized into 120 groups. This figure significantly exceeds our initial target of 500 documented victims for the entire project. Our joint efforts along the EU''s external borders yielded 1,683 reports, capturing the experiences of 25,000 individuals, which we compiled into the second edition of the Black Book of Pushbacks, presented at the European Parliament in late 2022.
We provided detailed analyses of trends to relevant national, EU, and UN bodies, briefing 68 Members of the European Parliament—well above our planned 30. Regular contacts were maintained with representatives from the Green, Social Democratic, Renew Europe, and Left parties. In partnership with others, we submitted 21 written and oral submissions regarding human rights violations of refugees at the EU''s external borders to various UN mechanisms.
In 2021, we published 156 bi-daily reports in the AYS News Digest and 24 thematic articles in the AYS Special series. In 2022, we maintained the same output for the News Digest and published 23 AYS Specials. Although our previous daily reports are now bi-daily, we continue to gather, verify, and process information for the Digest, released three times weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Throughout the project, we informed eight families, individuals, and acquaintances of victims who contacted us via social media about how to seek international protection and organizations that offer free legal assistance. After establishing a humanitarian point in Zagreb, five volunteers provided support to potential asylum seekers.
In our support activities for asylum seekers regarding the process of granting international protection and their rights, we developed a handbook detailing the process and rights of asylum seekers, informing 20 individuals about their rights. In 2022, we trained 16 citizen volunteers on legal issues related to asylum seekers in Croatia, leading to 45 instances of assistance for 14 families and individuals in realizing their legally guaranteed rights.
We conducted two training sessions for implementing Latin literacy courses and two for Croatian language course instructors. A literacy program was conducted by five volunteers in one group, while 11 volunteers ran four different Croatian language courses. As a result, 10 individuals were empowered through basic literacy skills, and 33 individuals gained the prerequisites for following certified language courses.
Through our programs, 48 children from 21 families improved their language and social competencies necessary for active participation in the regular school system. Over the reporting period, 77 volunteers were directly involved in working with children, creating a connection between 21 asylum-seeking families and citizen volunteers, thereby raising community awareness of the challenges faced by asylum seekers.
Additionally, 39 volunteers completed training on providing direct humanitarian aid at the AYS integration center. Over 200 private donors were encouraged to contribute humanitarian aid through social media and email correspondence, providing assistance to 347 asylum seekers and refugees. Notably, there was a significant demographic shift in individuals seeking help, with an increase in asylum seekers from Russia and Burundi, as well as many individuals under temporary protection from Ukraine.
We observed a significant increase in the number of individuals under international protection receiving direct humanitarian aid. In presenting our organization to strengthen student competencies and raise public awareness, we exceeded expectations with nearly 90 students learning about the difficulties and rights of asylum seekers. Furthermore, our social media outreach facilitated connections with numerous citizens who supported our organization through volunteering and donations for those in need.