Human Rights Watch Calls on EU: Don’t Let Croatia Join Schengen
In addition, the organization has called on the EU not to admit Croatia to the passport-free area, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.
Such a request has been made over Croatia’s treatment of migrants. Besides, in a report published on November 8, the non-governmental organization threw accusations against the European Commission for saying that the Balkan country is ready to join the Schengen Area.
“Croatia’s unlawful and violent summary returns of asylum seekers and migrants should disqualify it from joining the Schengen Area,” senior Eastern Europe and Balkans researcher at HRW, Lydia Gall, pointed out in this regard, adding that the Commission’s actions “sends the message that serious human rights abuses are no obstacle to Schengen accession,” as reported by Radio Free Europe.
However, such accusations related to abuse made by migrants as well as human rights groups have been often denied by authorities in Croatia.
The Commission of the European Union previously called on the European Council to adopt the decision in order to permit Croatia, as well as Romania, and Bulgaria to become part of the passport-free zone of Schengen.
The Commission’s comments came through the State of Schengen Report of this year. Besides, the statement stressed that the three countries mentioned above had met all the requirements in order to become part of the Schengen zone countries.
In this regard, the European Union’s Home Affairs Commissioner, Ylva Johansson, stressed that the Schengen Zone should be completed by permitting Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania to join in this zone.
Johansson stressed that “this summer inspires us to re-establish the freedom of movement completely and make Schengen prepared for the future so that our children may work, study and travel in the whole of Europe, anytime and anywhere they want,” however the process has still not been finalized.
Croatia has been subject to the Schengen evaluation procedures for several years, while in the last quarter of 2019, the Commission concluded that authorities in Croatia had taken all the needed measures for the application of all parts of the Schengen acquis.
