Number of applicants for international protection in the Republic of Croatia 453 2012 626960 2011 431090 335290 1089 807 309040 1195 Number of applicants for international protection in the EU 1078530 Report on the Performance of Activities of the National Preventive Mechanism for 2015 211 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2013 2014 2015 Source: Ministry of the Interior and Eurostat In 2015, international protection was recognized in 43 cases, in which 36 persons were granted asylum and seven received subsidiary protection. Twelve applicants for international protection lost the right to stay in the Republic of Croatia upon filing a new subsequent application following the entering into effect of the AITP after the decision on impermissibility had already been granted under their prior subsequent application. However, during the course of the procedure initiated based on the new application, only two of them were accommodated at the Foreigners Reception Centre, while the whereabouts of the others were unknown, including whether they were still in the Republic of Croatia or if they had left the country. By virtue of the new AITP, the rights of applicants for international protection have been decreased in comparison to the Asylum Act. Specifically, in order to prevent abuse of the system of national protection, provisions have been prescribed with regard to the subsequent application, which leave the possibility of filing one following an enforceable decision denying the prior application or terminating the procedure due to the applicant’s withdrawal. If an applicant does file a new subsequent application, after a decision on impermissibility of the prior subsequent application had already been adopted, such applicant shall not have the right to stay in the Republic of Croatia, despite the fact that the procedure is pending. This solution raises the question of how an applicant can actively participate in the process, and an especially difficult situation occurs in the implementation of the decision on return for persons whose citizenship has not been confirmed during the process of granting international protection or for persons whose whereabouts are unknown. According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, 41 applicants for international protection were accommodated at the Foreigners Reception Centre Ježevo during the procedure. The AITP was aimed at reducing limitations to the freedom of movement by accommodation in a foreigners’ reception centre, i.e. at developing measures that would be an alternative to detention, but a comparison of the total number of applicants (211) and applicants whose freedom of movement was limited at the reception centre shows that this was clearly unsuccessful. Due to the refugee crisis, the Reception Centre for Asylum Seekers in Zagreb was closed, and all applicants were accommodated in the Reception Centre for Asylum Seekers in Kutina, which 30