Report on the Performance of Activities of the National Preventive Mechanism for 2017 statutory rights. However, the applicants do not fill it out or sign the consent, which is in contradiction to the Security Vetting Act. Other difficulties faced by the applicants for international protection in exercising their rights, especially the right to health care, work and education in the integration processes, are discussed in more detail in the chapter on discrimination on the grounds of race, ethnicity or colour and national origin. Migrants in irregular situations and access to international protection The agreement between the EU and Turkey reduced the number of migrants and refugees coming to Croatia through the so-called Balkan route. However, due to reapplication of the Dublin and EURODAC Regulations, which also meant scaling down to the frameworks of the national legislation, stricter border controls were implemented in the states on the route from March 2016. The position of the RC is particularly sensitive due to several reasons. The wire fence erected along the Hungarian-Serbian border prevented migrants from accessing not only the territory, but also international protection in Hungary. On the other hand, Serbia took a so-called liberal approach in dealing with migrants, which implies insufficient control of their entry and movement, thus there are numerous informal gathering places along the border with Croatia and almost non-existent state border protection measures. Also, since the beginning of the refugee crisis in relation to the citizens who mostly move along the route, the agreement between the Croatian and Serbian Government on delivery and reception of persons whose entry or stay was illegal, was suspended. Therefore, the RC became solely responsible for resolving the status of such persons, be it in regards to the application for international protection or implementing return measures, and in cases when it was undoubtedly established that they entered from Serbia. All of this, paired with the Croatian strategic goal of joining the Schengen area, which implies efficient protection of the state border, also the external border of the EU, posed additional challenges before the MoI. In such circumstances, the end of 2016 and beginning of 2017 were marked by a series of allegations from civil society organizations and the media about the return of persons to Serbia without conducting the procedure provided for in the Foreigners Act, according to which, depending on the return measure, a decision should be issued, and procedure should be conducted on an individual basis with interpreting provided. However, many migrants testified that they were not allowed to apply for international protection, although they wanted to, and during their return the procedures provided for in the FA were not followed. Moreover, documented complaints included allegations that Croatian 38