On 27 March 2025, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior of Croatia, Davor Božinović, welcomed European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, on his official visit to Zagreb. As part of the visit, the two officials toured the National Coordination Centre for Border Control, where Commissioner Brunner was presented with Croatia's systems and procedures for monitoring its national borders, which also serve as the European Union’s and Schengen Area’s external borders.
Minister Božinović highlighted that the main topics of discussion included efforts to combat irregular migration and other key issues in the area of internal affairs. He emphasised the Croatian police's strong commitment to safeguarding borders, noting that the number of illegal crossings had decreased significantly. He attributed this trend to the active engagement of Croatian border forces, ongoing training, and the use of advanced technical equipment.
Božinović also underscored the innovative practices adopted by Croatian border police, designed in response to the geographic challenges of the Croatian border. He further noted Croatia's proactive approach in countering migrant smuggling through preventive operations carried out in coordination with specialized units.
Commissioner Brunner highlighted the sharp decline in irregular border crossings as a testament to Croatia’s efforts and stressed the European Commission’s ongoing support, particularly for frontline Member States like Croatia, through financial and operational assistance. He concluded by noting that while irregular migration is also decreasing across the EU by over 20%, Croatia’s results stand out. He underlined the value of continued collaboration with non-EU countries and referred to the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum as a strong foundation for future cooperation.