Protest in Lika Over Planned Željava Migrant Centre

The news in Croatian

1. prosvjedovati
   javno izražavati nezadovoljstvo ili protivljenje nečemu, često na ulici ili trgu ↩︎
2. migrant  (m.)
   osoba koja se seli iz jedne zemlje ili područja u drugo, najčešće radi posla ili boljeg života ↩︎
3. granica  (f.)
   crta ili područje koje razdvaja dvije države, regije ili posjede ↩︎
4. mještanin  (m.)
   ljudi koji stalno žive u nekom selu ili gradu, lokalno stanovništvo ↩︎
5. turistički
   koji se odnosi na turiste ili turizam, namijenjen posjetiteljima nekog mjesta ↩︎
6. infrastruktura  (f.)
   osnovne građevine i sustavi potrebni za život i rad ljudi, npr. ceste, vode, struja, kanalizacija ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: Why are people in Korenica protesting?

Question 2: What do the local people want Željava to be used for instead of a migrant centre?

Vocabulary

Croatian	English
prosvjedovati	to protest
migrant  (m.)	migrant
granica  (f.)	border
mještanin  (m.)	local resident
turistički	tourist / touristic
infrastruktura  (f.)	infrastructure

Read the full story

Several hundred residents of Lika, a sparsely populated region in central Croatia, gathered on Sunday in the small town of Korenica to protest against a government plan to build a migrant reception centre at the site of the former military air base Željava, near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The demonstration was organised by the Municipality of Plitvička Jezera, which includes part of the world‑famous Plitvice Lakes National Park. According to mayor Hrvoje Matejčić, from the independent “Stop” list, around five hundred people from Lika and other regions took part. Protesters carried banners reading slogans such as “We won’t give up Željava”, “From MiGs to migrants” and “Build flats for young people, not camps for migrants”.

The planned project is linked to the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, which begins to apply in mid‑2024. Under this framework, EU external border states are expected to create facilities where migrants from countries with a low asylum recognition rate can be accommodated while their status is checked. Croatian media report that the Ministry of the Interior is considering several locations, and that Željava is among them because it is state‑owned land close to the state border and lies on a popular route used by migrants travelling towards Slovenia.

According to information presented by local officials, the plan for Željava would involve a two‑stage project. In the first phase, a temporary camp with around 450 housing containers would be set up on the former runway area and surrounded by fencing. In the second phase, a permanent centre with modular buildings would be built on the grounds of the former barracks. The camp is described as being designed for up to 1,500 migrants, with an additional 150 to 200 police officers and staff. Construction costs would reportedly be covered by European Commission funding.

Mayor Matejčić and many local residents strongly oppose this idea. They argue that the Željava complex, once a major Yugoslav Air Force base with underground tunnels and several runways, already attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year and has significant tourism potential. Some local estimates claim up to 50,000 to 200,000 people visit the site annually, even though there has been almost no serious investment in tourist infrastructure so far.

For the municipality, Željava is seen as a key part of a future tourism strategy, complementing the well‑known Plitvice Lakes. Local leaders say they have for years asked the state either to develop the area or to transfer it to local control so that they could shape it for tourism and other civilian uses. Instead, they now face the possibility of a large migrant reception centre, which they believe could undermine the region’s image as a high‑profile tourist destination.

Another major complaint concerns communication and consultation. Matejčić states that the municipality first learned about the proposal from the media and public discussions, not directly from the government. A delegation from the Interior Ministry reportedly came to Korenica only the day before the protest to present the plan orally. The mayor says the municipality still has no written documentation about the project and criticises the state for not responding to earlier local development proposals for Željava.

Local authorities also highlight practical challenges at the selected site. They point out that the area around the former barracks lacks basic infrastructure such as sufficient water supply, electricity and sewage systems capable of serving up to 1,700 people (including migrants, police and staff). In addition, property ownership around the base is described as complex: parts belong to the Croatian state, the Defence Ministry, the municipality and various private owners, some of whom now live abroad.

During the protest, speakers linked the planned camp to wider frustrations over regional development in Lika. Residents complain of high costs for basic municipal services such as water and waste collection, which are expensive to provide in a large, sparsely populated area where a rubbish truck may have to visit dozens of villages on one route. Some pointed to an illegal waste site in Gospić and to other controversial industrial projects, asking why Lika should also host a major migrant facility.

Protesters also voiced concerns shaped by experiences in neighbouring countries. Referring to a migrant centre near Bihać in Bosnia and Herzegovina, they questioned whether migrants would remain inside the camp or spend time in surrounding towns and villages. Demonstrators argued that they do not want a similar situation near their homes and tourist attractions.

While local representatives firmly reject the current proposal, some sources quoted in Croatian media note that the government and security services see potential benefits in placing a reception centre at Željava. They argue that a larger presence of border police could increase security in the wider Plitvice area and might reduce the number of irregular border crossings in this part of the EU’s external frontier. From this perspective, a well‑controlled and monitored facility is presented as a way to better manage migration flows required under EU rules.

The Croatian government has not yet announced a final decision on the location of the migrant centre. The Interior Ministry is, according to media reports, still examining options, including Željava and other sites along the border. Local officials in Plitvička Jezera say they are waiting for a formal response to their objections. If the state goes ahead with the Željava project, the municipality has indicated that it may consider further steps, although no specific actions have been publicly detailed so far.

The protest in Korenica highlighted a wider tension in Croatia between national obligations under EU migration policy and the interests of local communities that rely on tourism and feel economically fragile. As the implementation of the EU pact begins and Croatia continues to manage one of the European Union’s external borders, the debate over Željava shows how migration policy, regional development and heritage tourism can come into conflict on the ground.

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