The Croatian government submits to the Parliament the final proposals of the acts aligning its international protection and foreigners laws with the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum

The final proposals of the Law on Amendments to the Law on International and Temporary Protection and the Law on Amendments to the Law on Foreigners, both intended to harmonise national legislation with EU law ahead of the application of the Pact on Migration and Asylum from 12 June 2026, have been submitted to the Croatian Parliament for a second reading.

The Minister noted that the proposed amendments to the Law on International and Temporary Protection introduce a mandatory border procedure to be applied to applicants for international protection who provide false information, pose a security risk, or come from countries with a low recognition rate of international protection (below 20%). The amendments also foresee the application of the EU list of safe third countries, with the possibility of adopting a national list; the participation in the European solidarity mechanism; the lowering of the age threshold for Eurodac registration from 14 to 6 years; and measures enabling more flexible crisis management and faster identification of the Member State responsible for examining an application. Reception conditions and integration are also addressed, including quality control, the introduction of an obligation to participate in integration measures, including Croatian language learning, and a clearer distinction between movement‑restriction measures and detention. Provisions on interpretation and measures for child applicants are likewise included.

The amendments to the Law on Foreigners include an obligation to take a Croatian language exam, extend temporary residence for study purposes for up to three years, and allow seasonal work permits to be issued for up to three years. Certain work permits will also become more flexible. Notably, the amendments introduce a return procedure at the border for persons who receive a negative decision on their application in the asylum procedure at the external border, and they establish an independent Fundamental Rights Monitoring Mechanism.