Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

The Constitution of the Republic of Croatia recognizes the following national minorities:

Serbs, Czechs, Slovaks, Italians, Hungarians, Jews, Germans, Austrians, Ukrainians, Rusyns, Bosniaks, Slovenians, Montenegrins, Macedonians, Russians, Bulgarians, Poles, Roma, Romanians, Turks, Vlachs, Albanians and others who are its citizens. (Croatia 1990)

According to the website of the Croatian Central Bureau of Statistics, a national population census was carried out in each of 1971, 1981, 1991, 2001 and 2011 (ibid. 17 Dec. 2012). A copy of the table Population by Ethnicity, by Towns/Municipalities, 2011 Census is attached to this Response.

Further information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Croatia. 17 December 2012. Croatian Bureau of Statistics. “Population by Ethnicity, 1971-2011 Census.” <http://www.dzs.hr/default_e.htm> [Accessed 8 Apr. 2013]

_____. 1990 (amended 2010). Constitution of the Republic of Croatia. Narodne novine, No. 76/2010. Translated version from website of the Croatian Parliament. <http://www.sabor.hr/Default.aspx?art=2405> [Accessed 10 Apr. 2013]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Attempts to contact the following were unsuccessful: delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Croatia, Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Ottawa.

Internet sites, including:Amnesty International; Council of Europe; Croatia – Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Ottawa, Government of the Republic of Croatia, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Croatia to the UN, New York; ecoi.net; European Union – Agency for Fundamental Rights, European Commission, European Ombudsman, Eurostat; European University Institute; Factiva; Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme ; Freedom House; Human Rights Watch; Minority Rights Group International; Political Handbook of the World 2012; Transitions online; United Nations – UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Refworld; United States – Department of State; Open Society Foundation.

Attachment

Croatia. N.d.. Central Bureau of Statistics.Population by Ethnicity, by Towns/Municipalities, 2011 Census. <http://www.dzs.hr/Eng/censuses/ census2011/results/htm/E01_01_04/e01_01_04_RH.html> [Accessed 8 Apr. 2013]