ZAGREB, May 3 (Hina) - The Coordination Committee of the Croatian World Congress for the Northern Rhine and Westfalia Regions on May 5 will start an initiative for the registration of Croatian citizens with German authorities.
ZAGREB, May 3 (Hina) - The Coordination Committee of the Croatian
World Congress for the Northern Rhine and Westfalia Regions on May
5 will start an initiative for the registration of Croatian
citizens with German authorities.#L#
According to Croatian estimates, there are about 450,000
Croats living in Germany, but only 185,000 are registered at the
Central Bureau for the Registration of Foreigners.
A great number of Croat citizens now living in Germany had not
registered the change of citizenship with German authorities after
the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia. They are still
registered as "Yugoslavs".
The difference in the number of actual and registered Croats
in Germany could have negative consequences for the financing of
Croatian supplementary schools, cultural and sports associations
and counseling centres in Germany, because Germany grants money for
these institutions according to the number of registered citizens.
This could also be the reason for the minor representation of
Croats in the media (radio broadcasts for foreigners, for
instance).
A pilot-programme for the registration of the change of
citizenship will be organized in Koeln, Duesseldorf, Neuss and
Gravenbroich between May 5 and June 5. The Coordination Committee
representatives were granted a permit by German institutions to
gather necessary data from Croatian citizens and deliver it to
German authorities, instead of each citizen doing it individually.
(hina) ha jn
031639 MET may 96