In May, the European Commission proposed a redistribution of refugees based on several criteria such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the unemployment rate, the number of refugees previously accommodated. The Commission estimated that Croatia could accept 747 Syrian and Eritrean refugees who are currently in Italy and Greece and another 315 people who are currently outside the European Union yet have international protection which is a total of 1,062 people. It turned out that Croatia would need to take in the same number of refugees as Finland which has a much higher GDP.
The Commission however used incorrect input data and the Luxembourg presidency has since conducted a new calculation which defines that Croatia would need to accommodate 370 immigrants already in Italy and Greece and 135 outside the EU or a total of 505.
At its last session the Croatian government adopted a decision to accept 400 immigrants currently located in Italy and Greece and another 150 immigrants from third countries.
"We've adopted the proposal put forward by the Luxembourg presidency in such a way that we even increased the numbers suggested," Minister Ostojic said ahead of a meeting of European Union interior ministers who are to discuss the distribution of 40,000 refugees currently in Italy and Greece and another 20,000 in other countries outside the EU.
Arriving to attend the meeting, Luxembourg's Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister Jean Asselbourn said that EU member states had offered to accept a little over 50,000 people however, attempts would be made to raise that number to 60,000.