STA, 25 August 2020 - A migrants’ rights advocacy group staged a rally in front of the Centre for Aliens in Postojna (Center za tujce) on Tuesday, claiming that conditions at the centre were reminiscent of a concentration camp and that the rights of foreigners kept there were being violated. The police has rejected the accusations.
The group, called Taskforce for Asylum, spoke on behalf of what were around 50 protestors, saying that grave human rights violations were occurring at the centre.
"You can find yourself here if a you are a foreigner and did not bring your residence documents in order in time, and you can stay locked up by up to a year, often without any contact to the outside world or the chance of an appeal," the group said.
In prison people at least know why they are locked up, can get a lawyer and know when they will be released, while in Postojna they are left at the mercy of a single inspector. Suicide attempts are an everyday affair, the Taskforce for Asylum said.
The group claims that "this disgraceful camp" was further expanded in recent months, with the state starting to send asylum seekers there and returning them to Croatian police from there.
Postojna, Center za tujce, protest danes
Posted by Protestival on Tuesday, 25 August 2020
It said one facility was a large warehouse with iron bars that now houses asylum seekers, who are left without basic necessities and kept waiting for a decision for weeks and months.
The foreigners handled this way are resisting and are also trying to get the attention of the public with hunger strikes, the Taskforce for Asylum said.
The protesters demanded today that "this concentration camp" be closed immediately and that the refoulement of migrants to Croatia stop.
The police rejected all the accusations, saying all procedures were conducted in line with national and European legislation and international conventions.
According to the police, it is not true that foreigners were sent to the centre without formal decisions. If there are reservations for sending back an individual, this is taken into consideration and the procedure is halted.
Legal protection is provided for all cases, there is also access to a doctor and psychosocial support, the police told the STA.
It also rejected claims of a hunger strike being under way. The foreigners expressed their discontent in different ways, including by occasionally declining food. Thus there was a situation a few days ago where one of the departments rejected dinner in protest over movement restrictions, the police added.
While also rejecting claims food was being supplied through window bars, the police dismissed accusations regarding overcrowded conditions.
There are presently 93 foreigners at the centre, which has capacity for 180. 68 of those currently there are subject to international protection procedures, while 25 are in the process of being returned.
