On November 15 the Croatian Ministry of the Interior approved the asylum application filed by a 27-year-old woman from an East African country. The application was based on religious grounds, with the applicant claiming that she would be exposed to the risk of genital mutilation if she were to be sent back to her country of origin.
By recognising for the first time the right to asylum, Croatia took an important step towards a fully functioning asylum system in compliance with the Geneva Convention on the Status of Refugees and European standards and practice, said the UNHCR representative in Zagreb, Jean Claude Concolato.
The UN refugee agency hailed the fact that in deciding on the application the authorities took into consideration the risk of a specific form of human rights violation, in this case sexual mutilation of women.
The UNHCR is pleased that account was taken of the relevant UNHCR documents and guidelines regarding violence based on sex and gender, the statement said.
The UNHCR expressed hope that the first case of recognition of asylum status in Croatia would open the door to the implementation of the good practice of granting asylum to persons in need of international protection.
The next important task is to help the African woman and all future recognised refugees to integrate into Croatian society. The UNHCR expects successful cooperation with the Croatian authorities in this vital aspect of the asylum system, the statement concluded.