MEP: Croatia's treatment of migrants may complicate its entry into Schengen area

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German MEP from the Alliance 90/The Greens Party, Erik Marquardt, spoke to N1's Domagoj Novokmet on Wednesday on the Croatian police's handling of migrants on the country's border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, saying that migrants on the border were not given the opportunity to apply for asylum.

Marquardt visited Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina on multiple occasions, and spoken to Croatian officials, as well as the Ombudsman.

There is a lot of evidence showing that migrants on Croatian borders are not given the opportunity to apply for asylum, he said, adding that a lot of problems could be solved if the actions of the Croatian police on the border were monitored by an independent body.

He also warned that the attitude of some Croatian MEP’s, who regularly dismiss the accusations of police brutality against migrants as lies, could create difficulties in the process of Croatia’s joining the passport-free Schengen area.