Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic announced on Thursday that the Foreigners Act, which is intended to provide solutions for the integration of foreign workers into society, will be discussed by the government by the end of the month.

“The Foreigners Act should be put on the government’s agenda by the end of the month. We have held extensive consultations with employers and trade unions, and several government departments have been involved. I expect a thorough discussion,” Bozinovic said in a statement to the media after the government meeting.

The implementation of the law will be monitored by a special task force

Among other things, the law will deal with the integration of foreign workers. The minister pointed out that the relevant departments had drawn on the experience of other countries when drafting the law.

“It offers many solutions, but we are already aware that, given the fact that Croatia has only been facing this phenomenon for a few years, we will probably not take into account every situation that may arise in the future,” said Bozinovic.

He announced that the implementation of the law will be monitored by a special working group, which will be appointed after the adoption of the law.

By the end of July this year, 131,000 work permits for foreign workers had been issued, a third of them in the Zagreb region.

Foreign workers are here to earn something for themselves and their families

In response to questions from reporters, Bozinovic explained that foreign workers generally do not commit crimes against Croatian citizens because “they are here to earn something for themselves and their families.”

“Nobody has come here from Nepal or India to commit criminal offences. They are people who contribute to our economy, especially in jobs that our citizens can not or do not want to do. On the other hand, we will protect the safety and dignity of all citizens of Zagreb, including foreign workers,” said Bozinovic.

He also pointed out that conflicts between foreign workers and Croatian citizens are detrimental to the general state of society. A video of such a conflict in Zagreb is circulating on social media, and the Zagreb police will prepare a special report on the incident, which will be forwarded to the prosecutor’s office later today.

Bozinovic said that Zagreb will remain a safe city for all residents, but added that “it would be much better if everyone directed their energy towards something constructive and useful for society.”

The minister warned that the penalties for racially or religiously motivated hate crimes are severe and can lead to several years in prison.