President Zoran Milanovic on Tuesday decorated 117 Interior Ministry employees on the occasion of Police Day.

The president said he supported the police in protecting the Croatian border, recalling the flow of refugees during his term as prime minister as well as today’s illegal migrations.

“You have my support in protecting the Croatian border because the real humanitarian need of people in trouble coming in their thousands is one thing, while the fiction that you have the right to come where you please at any moment is something else.”

Milanovic said a police officer’s job was socially and politically but not party oriented.

Since September 29 is international police day, he suggested that Croatian police could have their own day.

“You are the Croatian police and I’ve been wondering why we don’t have a police day that would reflect an important event from our recent history,” he said, adding that the Croatian police could observe the day they first lined up.

Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said the past year was full of challenges, including prevention of illegal migrations and the spread of the coronavirus epidemic as well as dealing with the consequences of the earthquake which struck the Zagreb area in March.

He said the crown of the international engagement was the meeting of the Schengen membership and US visa waiver programme requirements.

“We will continue along that path, investing in equipment, the legal framework and in protecting and raising the standard of police officers.”