Following the dramatic migrant crisis in Spain's Ceuta, Croatian historian Hrvoje Klasić's controversial idea of settling migrants on uninhabited or sparsely populated islands has resurfaced.
As the Spanish enclave of Ceuta slowly returns to normal after last week's mass influx of migrants from Morocco, in which at least 72 people lost their lives according to Spanish authorities, a wave of debate about migration has also swept through Croatia. The trigger is not a new political decision, but an old statement by historian and associate professor at the Department of History, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb, Hrvoje Klasić, which has gone viral again on social media.
In HRT's show "Conversation with a Reason," Klasić put forward the idea that Croatia could accept people from Syria, Lebanon, and North Africa and settle them on uninhabited or sparsely populated islands. As arguments, he cited similar climatic conditions and the possibility of engaging in agriculture, such as olive and vine cultivation. He believed that such a move would present Croatia as a "small and charming country" and a kind of "beacon" of positive example in Europe and the world.
Although the footage is not new, its reappearance amid the crisis in Ceuta has sparked a storm of negative reactions. Numerous commentators question why migrants would even want to live on remote islands without sufficient jobs, housing, and basic infrastructure. There are also warnings about problems with water supply, transport links, healthcare, schools, and shops, and part of the discussion has veered into personal insults and threats.
For the Dubrovnik-Neretva County, which includes Korčula, Mljet, Lastovo, Šipan, Lopud, Koločep, and other islands, this topic is not abstract. According to data from the Island Movement, nearly 25,000 people live on the islands of that county. However, the image of "sparsely populated islands" can be misleading. Even seemingly abandoned properties usually have owners, and many are used seasonally. Island communities are already facing a shortage of apartments for year-round rental, high property prices, youth emigration, and reduced availability of public services.
Klasić's idea raises a series of serious questions that remain unanswered: would people be directed to the islands voluntarily or administratively, who would provide housing and infrastructure, how would they make a living throughout the year, and what would the residents of island communities have to say about all this?
The crisis in Ceuta has shown how quickly migration can escalate. According to reports, around 60,000 people entered the enclave in a very short time, of whom more than 48,000 were returned to Morocco within 48 hours thanks to intense cooperation between Madrid and Rabat. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska confirmed that it was this cooperation that enabled the crisis to be brought under control quickly. Meanwhile, the death toll has risen to at least 72 after five additional bodies were found along the North African coast. Moroccan authorities, on the other hand, report 11 dead.
As Ceuta returns to normal, Spain's far right is sharply attacking the immigration policy of Pedro Sánchez's government. At the same time, Moroccan migrants describe to The New York Times the desperation that drove them to risk the dangerous border crossing. "Do you think I would go if I had a job?" is their question, which sums up the economic background of this humanitarian drama.
