What we do
The establishment of the Independent Monitoring Mechanism marks the beginning of an impartial, independent and expert dialogue with the Ministry of the Interior with the aim of identifying normative, institutional, systematic, operational and technical, as well as human factors which contribute or cause unlawful actions.
The purpose of the Independent Monitoring Mechanism is to contribute to the respect of fundamental rights by monitoring the actions taken by police officers of the Ministry of the Interior in the area of border surveillance, irregular migration and international protection, with particular emphasis on the respect of the principle of non-refoulement, prohibition of collective expulsion, prohibition of torture and other forms of ill-treatment.
Within the framework of its statutory tasks and competences, the Mechanism is equipped with precisely those powers which enable it to carry out impartial, independent and efficient monitoring. It should be noted that the Mechanism is neither a complaint nor an internal affairs supervisory body given the fact that such authorities already exist in the Republic of Croatia (the State Attorney’s Office of the Republic of Croatia (DORH), the Ombudswoman, the internal control of the Ministry of the Interior).
The Mechanism implements its mandate in accordance with the Agreement and the legislation in force in the Republic of Croatia and, in its work, it is guided by the vision of a direct, impartial, independent and expert dialogue with the Ministry of the Interior, in which a broad circle of stakeholders is indirectly involved through the Advisory Board, as is the public from which the Mechanism receives certain information and to which it transparently communicates the findings of its work.