Development of the system of reception and accommodation of applicants for international protection in the Republic of Croatia

Tema migracija i sustava međunarodne zaštite, u kojemu je sustav prihvata i smještaja prvi i temeljni dio postupka priznavanja međunarodne zaštite, aktualnija je nego ikada ranije. Niz kriza i ratova aktualizirali su pitanja izbjeglica i ljudske sigurnosti. Pitanje migracija je humanitarno pitanje koje pred Europu, kao ciljanu regiju velikog broja migranata, postavlja izazove, katkad čak i test izdržljivosti, jer pitanja je sve više, a adekvatan, sustavan odgovor već godinama izostaje. Iako se dramatični migracijski trendovi tijekom 2015. i 2016. opisuju kao „migrantski val“, taj val bi bilo ispravnije nazvati „migracijskom plimom“ jer realno nikada nije niti prestao, što dokazuje udar na sustav međunarodne zaštite tijekom 2022. i u vrijeme pisanja ovog rada, 2023., kada je sustav međunarodne zaštite u Republici Hrvatskoj, ali i nizu drugih država EU članica, zabilježio rekordne brojeve. Tema je opširna sa stručnog aspekta, prvo kroz pristup sustava međunarodnoj zaštiti u odnosu na zaštitu državne granice, prihvat i smještaj osoba, postupak priznavanja međunarodne zaštite, standarde unutar sustava, stručne aspekte i pravne presedane, a potom i nakon prestanka postupka, kroz integraciju ili deportaciju osobe, ovisno o ishodu upravnog postupka. S druge strane, na temu je moguće gledati i kroz prizmu sigurnosti s ciljem zaštite državne granice i unutarnjeg teritorija ili kroz utjecaj migracija na stanje sigurnosti u državi ili u graničnom području, pitanja detencije, terorizma i organiziranog kriminaliteta, kroz prizmu ljudskih prava, poštivanja zakonskih propisa i tražitelja međunarodne zaštite, ali i državnih tijela, zdravstveno pitanje, pitanje demografske ili religijske strukture, socijalno pitanje itd. Cilj ovog rada je pojasniti ovu izrazito kompleksnu i aktualnu temu kroz metodu terenskog istraživanja sa sudjelovanjem.The topic of migration and the system of international protection, in which the system of reception and accommodation is the first and fundamental part of the process of recognition of international protection, is more relevant than ever before. A series of crises and wars have brought the issues of refugees and human security to the fore. The issue of migration is a humanitarian issue that poses challenges for Europe as a target region for a large number of migrants, sometimes even a test of endurance, because there are more and more questions, and an adequate, systematic answer has been missing for years. Although the dramatic migration trends during 2015 and 2016 are frequently described as a "migrant wave", it would be more precise to call that wave a "migration tide", because in reality it never stopped, as evidenced by the pressure put on the international protection system during 2022 and at the time of writing this paper, in 2023. During this period the system of international protection in the Republic of Croatia, but also in a number of other EU member states, registered record numbers. The topic is extensive from a professional point of view, first through the system's approach to international protection, in relation to the protection of the state border, reception and accommodation of persons, the process of recognition of international protection, standards within the system, professional aspects and legal precedents, and then also after the end of the procedure, through integration or deportation of a person, depending on the outcome of the administrative procedure. On the other hand, it is possible to look at the topic through the prism of security with the aim of protecting the state border and internal territory, or through the influence of migration on the state of security in the state or in the border area, issues of detention, terrorism and organized crime, through the perspective of human rights, respect for legal regulations and the applicants for international protection, but also state bodies, health issues, issues of demographic or religious structure, social issues, etc. The aim of this paper is to clarify this extremely complex and current topic using the method of field research with participant observation