One of the major problems faced by homes for the elderly and infirm is staff shortage, which results in human rights violations of their users and represents a threat to their safety. A good example of this is a home where during the night shift, only three employees are responsible for 344 people. In addition, admission agreements are still often signed by family members or other persons that have undertaken the obligation to pay for the accommodation services, and not users themselves, which is unacceptable. In 2017, the number of applicants for international protection in the Republic of Croatia dropped by 15.46% in comparison to 2016. A total of 2,126 requests have been ruled upon, which represents an improvement in comparison to the earlier periods. A series of complaints pertained to the return of irregular migrants to Serbia without conducting legally prescribed procedures, which was also not subject to adequate investigation. This subsequently raised doubts with regard to the death of a girl at the border with Serbia. State Attorney General, Croatian Parliament and general public have been duly informed about our findings and conclusions related to this issue. Described examples are a part of systemic deficiencies that we warn about in the Report on the Performance of Activities of the National Preventive Mechanism for 2017. This Report is intended primarily for persons deprived of liberty and those with limited freedom of movement, but it is also intended for members of the professional public: employees within state systems, officials of sectoral bodies, members of parliament, academic community, civil society organisations, the media as well as all other persons interested in the strengthening of human rights protection in Croatia. I sincerely hope that the information provided on the following pages, and in particular our recommendations, will be used for the purpose of achieving the necessary positive change, for the benefit of the entire society. Lora Vidović, Ombudswoman