On 26 March 2026, a round table entitled “Does Croatia have an integration policy - and does it need it?” was held at the Croatian Parliament. Participants included representatives of the Ombudsperson’s Office, the Croatian Employment Service, the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth, the Institute for Migration Research, the Croatian Law Centre, and the Centre for Peace Studies, a CSO with expertise in inclusion and integration policies.
The discussion highlighted that Croatia still lacks a comprehensive integration policy and stressed the need to include various groups of foreign nationals, such as migrant workers, applicants for international protection and beneficiaries of such protection. Key issues raised included:
- Protection against discrimination and hate speech.
- Croatian language learning as a key integration factor. Despite a voucher system run by the Croatian Employment Service, low uptake (321 requests in 2025) indicates the need for a more continuous and structured system.
- Limited access to healthcare due to language barriers and gaps in the Compulsory Health Insurance Act, which does not fully recognize beneficiaries of international protection as insured, limiting access to an e-referral and e-prescription or to a primary care physician of their choice.
- Poor housing conditions.
- Difficulties in the recognition of qualifications in regulated professions, such as medicine.
Source(s)
- Ombudsperson | Pučki pravobranitelj (26 March, 2026), Rasprava o integracijskoj politici u Hrvatskoj [Discussion on integration policy in Croatia],