The Massive Civic Mobilization That’s Welcoming Refugees in Croatia

It’s been nearly a month since refugees began crossing into Croatia in large numbers, a surge sparked by Hungary’s decision to abruptly close its border with Serbia. Nearly 200,000 refugees have now entered Croatia, most of them remaining in the country only temporarily before moving on. But during the short time they’re here, we’re offering them all the support we can.

The Croatian government has set up a refugee camp near the border with Serbia with room for 5,000 people; all refugees moving through this part of the country are processed here. Everyone—newborns, children, older people, people with disabilities—is housed in military tents that struggle to keep out the elements and flood with mud during heavy rains.

While basic aid like food, blankets, and medical care are provided by the government, and the logistics of registration, reception, and transit are handled on site, dozens of citizen volunteers have been working in the camp on a daily basis, providing aid, comfort, and information about current procedures for entering and leaving Croatia.

These volunteers represent an array of local NGOs such as the Volunteers Centre Osijek, Youth Peace Group Danube, and the Centre for Peace Studies. Taken together, we are part of a broad alliance operating under the name “Welcome.” We work in cooperation with the Croatian Red Cross as well as some international NGOs that have been distributing food and clothes daily. A number of our volunteers come from other parts of Europe and, indeed, all over the world.

More than 400 individuals are lending a hand under the Welcome initiative, a voluntary civic mobilization that has been growing in size every day. We’re striving to establish a refugee support center with mobile teams that can respond in locations where they are needed. We’re working on advocacy and campaigning, and gathering the support of countless individuals—including more than 60 civil society organizations and even a football club—with the aim of pressuring Croatian and EU institutions to change the restrictive migration policies that are only making things worse.

Now the Republic of Croatia needs to step up as well, and advocate for the harmonization of EU, UN, and local approaches to stop the war in Syria and find a sustainable solution to the refugee crisis.

The Welcome initiative advocates for humanitarian evacuation of endangered people in Syria and other conflict areas, and the establishment of a safe passage corridor from conflict areas to safe destination countries in line with international humanitarian law. Moreover, Welcome strongly opposes restrictions in movement for refugees and is against quota engineering around Europe. We call upon resourceful societies in Europe and worldwide to offer hospitality and support.

What we have been facing is not a crisis. Crises come and go. The flow of refugees into Europe might last for years, so what we need is a long-lasting solution. It is time for us to get serious about building a civic and political response. It is the refugees who are stretched to the limit, not us. We have a moral obligation to offer them safety.