Croatian Minister of the Interior Davor Bozinovic said on Friday that there was no reason for Slovenia to cause Croatia problems regarding its accession to the Schengen area of passport-free travel.

“Croatian police work on preventing illegal migrations and make life in Croatia as well as in Slovenia stable and peaceful. When you dismiss narrow views of certain issues, it is clear to everyone that Croatian police do their job well and one should not mix politics and the huge and professional work into which great effort and money of the Ministry of the Interior and our European partners have been invested,” Bozinovic said after an event marking the national police day in Zagreb.

He went on to say that police worked enthusiastically and professionally on meeting 270 recommendations for the fulfillment of technical criteria for accession to the Schengen area.

“European Commission officials have recognised that and concluded that Croatia has met all technical criteria for accession to Schengen,” he said.

Commenting on accusations about police violence against migrants and a case regarding allegations that police had separated a Syrian national from his underage daughter in September 2018, Bozinovic said that according to the latest information received from the Lebanese police, the little girl had never left the country, which proved the case to be a lie and an act of manipulation.

Asked if he expected additional problems with migrants arriving at Croatian borders, Bozinovic said police work did not depend on daily statements and reports.

“We analyse the situation and are prepared in terms of capacity for much greater migrant pressure,” he said.

Turudic case: It’s most important that police work in line with law

Asked about accusations by Zagreb County Court President Ivan Turudic, who was fined for speeding, that police were not doing their job, Bozinovic said that “the most important thing is that police work in line with the law.”

“In this specific case, a Bjelovar court has passed a final ruling based on police charges,” the minister said.

Asked if he expected dissatisfaction from Serbia following a court decision rejecting the request by war crimes convict Dragan Vasiljkovic for provisional release, Bozinovic said that the judiciary in Croatia was independent and that it was not up to the executive authorities to comment on court decisions.

Asked how he assessed the overall situation of the police force, the minister said that he was satisfied with it and impressed by the work of police on the ground.