Rijeka Mayor Marko Filipovic on Tuesday criticised the state-owned Croatian Railways (HZ) for not allowing the city authorities to put up a tent at the Central Station in Rijeka to help migrants arriving in the city by train and for ignoring the city authorities' appeals to keep the station clean.

The mayor said that the city administration, together with the Rijeka Archdiocese and the Red Cross and their volunteers had decided to help the migrants by organising a temporary reception point on the premises of the Central Station, the place where migrants arrive by train in Rijeka and from where they continue their journey towards Western Europe.

The reception point consists of a container for volunteers and their equipment and a sanitary container with toilets and showers where arriving migrants will be able to freshen up.

Filipovic said that HZ’s conduct was not fair.

“The city is not the only one that should deal with the problem of migrants. That also has to be HZ’s responsibility because HZ is selling them tickets but has not secured money to keep the premises it runs clean,” the mayor said, expressing hope that upon Croatia’s entry to the Schengen area of passport-free movement, the pressure of migrants on Rijeka and Croatia would subside.

The local chapter of the Red Cross prepares around 200 meals on a daily basis and delivers them to migrants staying on the premises of the central railway station.