Abstract
Team members at I2UD contributed to the report “Humanitarian Responses by Local Actors: Lessons Learned from Managing the Transit of Migrants and Refugees Through Croatia.” This research examines Croatia’s response to the 2015 Syrian refugee crisis, where 650,000 migrants and refugees transited the country over seven months. The Croatian government coordinated a complex, multi-stakeholder effort, with local authorities providing crucial infrastructure and services. A centrally managed transit reception center and deterritorialised response allowed for swift movement across the country, though rapid transit limited the ability to fully meet migrants’ needs, requiring adjustments by humanitarian actors.
The Croatian experience highlights strong institutional capacity for managing large-scale crises and the vital role of local infrastructure and civil society. It raises important questions about local authorities’ roles in national crisis response frameworks and the balance between security logistics and rights-based humanitarian aid. As Croatia shifts to refugee integration, clearer coordination and more inclusive governance will be needed for future crises. Documents include the main working paper from August 2016 as well as a presentation on the research.
| Project Year: | 2016 |
| Project Type: | Research Paper |
| Geographic Regions: | Croatia |
| Reports: | |
| Authors: | Maren Larsen; Elma Demir; Maja Horvat; Mona Serageldin; John Driscoll; Tea Vidovic; Julija Kranjec; Barbara Summers |
| Sponsors: | International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) |
| Categories: | Reconciliation and Development |
| ID: | 2016_01_001 |
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