ZAGREB, (Hina) – Over 7,000 children in migration have received timely protection, access to basic services and mental health support, and more than 700 unaccompanied children have been included in the protection and guardianship system in Croatia, UNICEF reported on Friday.
UNICEF also highlights that Croatia provided individualised support and high-quality guardianship for migrant children.
At a closing conference in Zagreb, the results of the two-year programme “Supporting protection and integration of children and families in migration in Croatia” were presented.
It is a joint programme by Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) and UNICEF, funded by the Swiss Government. The programme was jointly implemented by the UNICEF Office for Croatia and SEM.
From December 2023 to November 2025, the programme focused on strengthening national systems so that children and families in migration could receive timely protection, access to early childhood development services, inclusive education, social benefits and services, and psychosocial support.
In the field of educational integration, 1,984 children whose first language is not Croatian were included in schools and local communities, while 555 pupils underwent standardised language testing, enabling schools to provide targeted support in overcoming language barriers, it was highlighted at the conference.
Through the programme, an additional 1,200 professionals in early childhood development, education, social welfare, the asylum system and mental health were trained, strengthening the capacities of key institutions working with children and families in migration.
More than 1,700 children and families received mental health and psychosocial support.
Ilija Talev, Deputy Head of the UNICEF Office for Croatia, stressed the complexity of the needs of children in migration.
Refugee and migrant children are, above all, children. Regardless of who they are or where they come from, we must provide them with protection and care. They must be safe from all forms of violence and exploitation, live in a stimulating environment, and be able to learn and look forward to a future in which they can have the same life opportunities as other children, he said.
They deserve not only to survive, but to thrive, Talev emphasised, adding that UNICEF has supported national systems to ensure that children and families in migration, including unaccompanied children, are integrated into Croatian society and have access to basic services.
UNICEF has been our reliable partner from the very beginning of the implementation of the Rapid Response Fund of the Second Swiss Contribution, and this cooperation has proved crucial in addressing urgent needs while also creating sustainable solutions, said Beatrice Schaer, Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation to Croatia.
The programme was implemented in cooperation with the relevant Croatian ministries of the interior, labour and social welfare, education and В health, the Croatian Institute for Social Work, the Education and Teacher Training Agency, the National Centre for External Evaluation of Education, schools, the academic community and civil society organisations.
