Although the HDZ’s Members of European Parliament recently supported Orban in the European Parliament, the Prime Minister Plenković should insist on condemning the Hungarian human rights violations during the today’s meeting with Prime Minister Orban in Zagreb – this is the joint message by civil society organisations: Human Rights House Zagreb, Center for Peace Studies, Croatian Platform for International Citizen Solidarity - CROSOL, GONG and the Welcome! Initiative.
The Danube Compass Platform was presented in Zagreb, Croatia on November 21st to help migrants find their way to economic and social integration in the society to which they have arrived. The Danube Compass covers all major aspects of living: housing, employment, learning the local language, education, health, and everyday life, offering an overview of all the important rights and opportunities depending on the national context of the host country. The platform currently offers information for Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovaki, Hungary and Serbia.
Together with partnering civil society organizations (Human Rights House Zagreb, Youth Initiative for Human Rights, Serb National Council, GONG and Documenta - Center for Dealing with the Past), Centre for Peace Studies participated in reporting of violent incidents committed out of hatred for ODIHR's yearly report that was published today, on 16 November 2018, International Day for Tolerance, available at ODIHR's web pages.
The Ministry of the Interior has denied Centre for Peace Studies (CPS) the access to Reception Centres for asylum seekers, refusing to extend the cooperation agreement to an organization that has provided support to refugees and asylum seekers for 15 years, warned representatives of the Centre for Peace Studies and Human Rights House at the press conference held on Monday 12 November, in front of the Reception Centre in Zagreb. MoI's deliberate explanation for such a decision is the alleged lack of physical space in which activities could be carried out, moreover claiming that there are enough other engaged organizations in the reception centres.
The civil society organizations Are you Syrious (AYS)?, Centre for Peace Studies, and lawyers Sanja Bezbradica Jelavic and Ivo Jelavic held a press conference on Apr 18 and warned about the pressure that the Croatian Ministry of Interior puts on the attorney's office that protects refugees, as well as against the activists of organizations providing legal and humanitarian protection to refugees.
Today, the European Court of Human Rights sent an urgent notification of their decision on an interim measure requiring the Croatian Ministry of Interior to immediately place Madina’s family in an environment where the family will not be exposed to inhumane or degrading treatment. The Court also emphasizes that they are convinced that Croatia will not deport the family to Serbia or Afghanistan until they have answered the questions submitted by the Court.
This paper is designed to inform EU decision-makers about the increasing restrictions facing independent non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the EU. NGOs are vital to the proper functioning of healthy, rights-respecting democracies operating under the rule of law. Yet the practices, laws and policies of national authorities and sometimes the EU itself are hampering the ability of these organisations to operate – often this is indeed the express aim of national governments. This paper will begin by explaining the role that NGOs play in facilitating democratic participation, upholding the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights. It will then outline the principal obstacles facing NGOs before putting forward recommendations directed at the EU institutions that would allow the EU to preserve the freedoms that NGOs require to perform their tasks and facilitate their development.
Seventeen years after adoption of EU laws that forbid discrimination, immigrants, descendants of immigrants, and minority ethnic groups continue to face widespread discrimination across the EU and in all areas of life – most often when seeking employment. For many, discrimination is a recurring experience.
On Tuesday, October 3, at 18h in Booksa, the [MIGRENT] publication will be promoted. At the promotion, Bashkim Fazliu (Taste of Home) and Prince Wale Soniyiki (Association of Africans in Croatia, African Cuisine) will present the examples of migrant entrepreneurship and migrant social entrepreneurship in Croatia, while Tina Lee Odinsky-Zec (Zagreb School of Economics and Management) and Hermes Arriaga Sierra (Impact Hub Zagreb) will talk about opportunities and challenges for migrant (social) entrepreneurs in Croatia. Sara Kekuš from the Centre for Peace Studies will moderate the conversation. After the conversation and Q&A session, we will continue networking and socializing with the Taste of Home catering.
