Centre for Peace Studies with the support of initiative Welcome! prepared a leaflet with answers to frequently asked questions at the refugee camp in Slavonski Brod for refugees that are situated there. In this leaflet refugees can find information about the opportunities, rights and restrictions of the asylum system in Croatia.

Initiative Welcome and Are You Syrious on Wednesday presented a report in which they conclude, based on observations and interviews, that Croatian authorities have been forcibly detaining refugees in closed-off sections of the refugee transit centre at Slavonski Brod, thus systematically violating their human rights, and called for immediately ensuring free movement for those people. 

Despite the harsh weather, the initiative Welcome and ‘Are You Syrious?’ attracted some 500 people to the “Closing of Borders Kills” protest in St. Mark’s Square in Zagreb against the closing of the so-called Balkan Route, which has left more than 40,000 people trapped at the Greek border.  

With regards to today’s meeting of the Chiefs of Police of Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Macedonia, who are in Zagreb discussing the humanitarian crisis, the Welcome! Initiative calls for these countries not to reach for measures of returning the refugees back to insecurity, by uplifting the internal border controls and playing ping- pong with human destinies. Countries whose representatives met today have the moral and political responsibility towards refugees knocking on our doors. 

With regards to announcement by the Minister of Internal Affairs Vlaho Orepić, introducing a new regime of transporting refugees by rail directly from Macedonia to Austria, the Welcome! Initiative reminds of the necessity to introduce secure and protected air, land and sea corridors for refugees wishing to reach their desired destinations, in order to reduce the violations of their human rights, as well as number of deaths occurring daily within the EU borders. 

During the conference held yesterday at the Human Rights House, the “Welcome” Initiative has warned of serious human rights violations and creation of legal insecurity, as a result of problematic practises of returning refugees from Slovenia to Croatia, and from Croatia to Serbia. They have also presented a report, created by the “Moving Europe” Activists, who were talking to individuals “stuck” in the border areas of Serbia and Croatia, in the vicinity of Adaševci and Šid, as well as those in Belgrade, from 11 to 25 January, which offers testimonies of police violence. 

Central European Refugee-assisting Organizations Criticize European Response to the Refugee Crisis today in Vienna. Amog organizations that sent this appeal “Overcome Division – Organize Joint Refugee Reception” is Centre for Peace Studies and Welcome Initiative.

With the sounds of the ship's horn as a sign of condolence to the victims'  families and solidarity with all those who flee in search of a safe home, on the the International Day of Migrants, "Welcome!" Initiative warned that the time is ripe for a unified response from Europe aimed at increasing humanity and openness for all that search for safety.  

Two activists of the “Welcome” civic initiative were taken into custody for a “talk” after drawing a graffiti saying: “Open the borders for all”, on the roof of “Medika” building in Zagreb. 

The decision to tighten refugee entry criteria, allowing only the transit of persons from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, and stopping those who do not come from war-affected countries, is a serious blow to the rule of law and brings people who come in search of a safe haven into an insecure position, activists of the "Welcome" Refugee Support Initiative said on Friday.