ZAGREB, Jan 27 (Hina) - In 2001, Croatian police discovered and arrested 17,038 illegal immigrants as against 24,180 in 2000, while Slovenia noted a drop of 42 percent, the Interior Ministry said. A total of 20,871 immigrants
illegally entered Slovenia in 2001, of whom 12,687 coming from Croatia. The number of requests for obtaining refugee status, that is asylum, rose from 23 in 2000 to 87 in 2001. The majority of immigrants are from Romania (7,346), Yugoslavia (2,792), Turkey (1,836), Macedonia (923), Iraq (909), Moldova (743), Bosnia-Herzegovina (479) and Iran (473). The highest number of illegal crossings were recorded by the Vukovar-Srijem County police and the police in Karlovac. Of the total number of immigrants in 2001, 44 percent entered Croatia from Yugoslavia, and 43 percent from Bosnia. The highest number of organised crossings occur in groups with more than three immigrants. A total of
ZAGREB, Jan 27 (Hina) - In 2001, Croatian police discovered and
arrested 17,038 illegal immigrants as against 24,180 in 2000, while
Slovenia noted a drop of 42 percent, the Interior Ministry said.
A total of 20,871 immigrants illegally entered Slovenia in 2001, of
whom 12,687 coming from Croatia.
The number of requests for obtaining refugee status, that is
asylum, rose from 23 in 2000 to 87 in 2001.
The majority of immigrants are from Romania (7,346), Yugoslavia
(2,792), Turkey (1,836), Macedonia (923), Iraq (909), Moldova
(743), Bosnia-Herzegovina (479) and Iran (473).
The highest number of illegal crossings were recorded by the
Vukovar-Srijem County police and the police in Karlovac. Of the
total number of immigrants in 2001, 44 percent entered Croatia from
Yugoslavia, and 43 percent from Bosnia.
The highest number of organised crossings occur in groups with more
than three immigrants. A total of 10,721 persons tried to enter
Croatia in 2001 in that fashion, while the remaining 6,317 entered
or tried to enter Croatia independently. The majority of immigrants
were men (83 percent), followed by women (10 percent), and minors
and children (seven percent - or around 1,200 persons).
According to police data, it costs between 3,000 and 5,000 German
marks to smuggle a person from Bosnia via Croatia and Slovenia to a
western country, depending on age and sex.
In 2001, 314 crimes of human trafficking were reported in Croatia. A
total of 356 persons, or 14 percent less than in 2000, have been
charged.
Under the Readmission Law, Slovenia returned 4,683 persons to
Croatia last year. At the same time, Croatia returned 2,503
immigrants to Bosnia, while in 2000 the number of persons returned
to Bosnia was 6,866 in the first five months of the agreement's
implementation alone.
A total of 2,080 foreign citizens were banished from Croatia in
2001. The deportation costs, including travel cards, identity
documents, visas, and transit expenses for the immigrants amounted
to 1.6 million kuna (EUR211,920), and an additional two million
(EUR264,900) kuna for the accommodation, care and food.
(hina) np