Report on the Performance of Activities of the National Preventive Mechanism for 2016 During our visit to psychiatric institutions we have found treatment that can be degrading or even inhuman like enforcing the measure of restraint in utterly inadequate conditions in the isolation room. There have been positive developments in accommodation conditions, but in many departments they are still unacceptable. In addition, some persons with mental disorders have to participate in the expenses of involuntary confinement and involuntary hospitalization, which is unacceptable, and these costs should be covered from the State Budget. In order to ensure stronger protection of the elderly in the homes for the elderly and disabled, it is necessary to employ sufficient number of staff and educate them on human rights. Sometimes the person is placed in the home without his or her explicit consent, and more attention should also be paid to the respect for privacy. The number of applicants for international protection has risen by 957% in comparison to 2015 which has, along with the changes in legislation, prolonged the time necessary to reach the decision and increased the number of unresolved applications. In the process of relocation of refugees within the EU, in line with the principle of solidarity, only 19 persons have been relocated to Croatia. This number, in addition to the high percentage of those who leave the country before the end of the procedure, shows that Croatia is still not a destination country. Applicants for international protection and irregular migrants should be provided with the access to free legal aid, as well as with the adequate healthcare protection, since it mostly includes only emergency medical assistance and diagnostic and therapeutic services necessary to eliminate immediate dangers to their life and health. It is necessary to effectively investigate all claims regarding the returns to Serbia without applying the individual process, as well as those regarding police violence. For all the problems we have noted with the respect for human rights of persons deprived of their liberty or those with the limited freedom of movement, we have made a number of recommendations and hope their implementation will soon follow. 53

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