Croatia has temporarily suspended the processing of asylum applications from Syrian citizens, Interior Minister Davor Božinović announced, aligning with similar moves by other European countries.

“The Ministry of the Interior has instructed its services to pause processing until the European Union reaches a decision,” said Božinović on Monday.

This decision comes as political shifts in Syria and rising right-wing influence across Europe prompt countries to reassess asylum policies. Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, and others have also suspended Syrian asylum applications.

Germany, which took in nearly one million Syrians during the 2015 refugee crisis, has paused decisions while monitoring developments. Norway, Denmark, and Austria have adopted similar measures, with some reviewing previously approved cases or extending stays for rejected applicants due to uncertainty.

Greece has frozen around 9,000 Syrian asylum applications, while Switzerland, the UK, and Italy have announced comparable policies. France is expected to follow soon.

These moves highlight shifting European attitudes as nations balance evolving Syrian dynamics and domestic political pressures.

Employees of the Swedish furniture manufacturer and retailer in Croatia are set to receive the most generous “Christmas bonus” known so far – between €2,000 and €2,300.

According to the Danica portal, IKEA will pay its workers a €300 Christmas bonus, a gift for St. Nicholas Day, and €50 gift vouchers for each child.

In addition, employees will receive a 13th salary, increased by the percentage of the annual business plan achievement – this year by 27%. The average net salary at IKEA is €1,600, meaning the average bonus will amount to around €2,000. Including the Christmas bonus, the total will reach €2,300.

“Credit to all companies that share their profits with employees in some way, even a part of it. This isn’t about bragging, but showing that solidarity is possible during the Christmas season,” an IKEA employee told Danica.

The Croatian National Tourist Board’s London office, the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, and Dubrovnik Airport jointly organized a traditional tourism promotion of Croatia and Dubrovnik in the prestigious setting of Queen’s Club in London. The promotional event, held on Thursday, December 12, 2024, at 6:00 PM, brought together over 70 prominent editors, journalists, and leading tour operators. The attendees enthusiastically reaffirmed the enduring recognition and appeal of Dubrovnik’s tourism offerings in the UK, a key market for Croatian tourism.

Following introductory speeches by the Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in the UK, Davor Ljubanović, the Director of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, Miroslav Drašković, the Deputy Mayor of Dubrovnik, Jelka Tepšić, and the Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board’s London office, Bisera Fabrio, the competitive tourism offerings of Dubrovnik and Croatia were highlighted, aligned with trends and demand in the British market.

Miroslav Drašković emphasized the importance of such events in promoting Dubrovnik as a top Croatian tourist destination in the promising British market. This significantly contributes to the perception of sustainability and year-round tourism potential, “Dubrovnik will always remain an open city that welcomes British tourists with open arms. To ensure everyone enjoys it equally, we have taken significant steps to combat over-tourism, being among the first in Europe to do so. Aware of the challenges ahead, we are strategically planning sustainable tourism development models that preserve natural and cultural resources while ensuring a positive experience for both our international guests and local residents.”

Bisera Fabrio further underlined the importance of Croatia’s continued visibility in British media and the tourism sector. She noted the strong response from editors and journalists from renowned outlets such as The Times, Telegraph, BBC, Wanderlust, Guardian, and many others, whose readership spans even across the Atlantic, “The UK market ranks 6th among foreign tourist markets, with Croatia achieving its best tourism results this year. Dubrovnik, in particular, holds a special place in the hearts of our British guests and friends, as a symbol of Croatian tourism, its beauty, and its historical and cultural heritage.”

Following the formal part of the evening, a prize draw was held, with Chris Leadbeater, a journalist from The Telegraph, winning round-trip tickets from Croatia Airlines and a four-night stay at the Rixos Premium Dubrovnik Hotel.

In addition to showcasing Croatia’s tourism offerings in the historic and elegant setting of Queen’s Club, the event further convinced attendees of the quality and authenticity of Croatia’s eno-gastronomic scene. Croatian specialties and wines from southern Dalmatia, accompanied by Croatian melodies, crowned the evening, setting high expectations for the continued success of Croatian tourism in the coming year.

This year, gross domestic product (GDP) could grow by 3.7 percent in real terms, and by 3.3 percent in 2025, while inflation could slow to 3.5 percent next year after this year's four percent, according to the latest estimates from the Croatian National Bank (CNB) published on Friday at its annual press briefing.

With this, the CNB has slightly revised upwards its estimates of Croatian economic growth, as well as inflation, this year and next.

Namely, the CNB presented its latest estimates of GDP trends in mid-September, when it forecast economic growth of 3.6 percent for 2024 and 3.2 percent in 2025.

According to that earlier forecast, inflation measured by the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) was estimated at 3.9 percent this year and 3.4 percent next year.

As stated in the summary of the CNB's macroeconomic projections, real GDP growth in Croatia should significantly exceed the growth of the euro area and continue to contribute to real convergence. Namely, the estimates are that GDP in the common European currency area will average 0.7 percent this year and 1.1 percent next year.

Thus, although real GDP growth could slow down in the next two years, it will still remain relatively strong, according to the CNB's estimates. At the same time, as he states, the projected growth of Croatian GDP mainly reflects strong personal consumption, supported by developments in the labour market, investments, also supported by EU funds, as well as robust government spending.

Yesterday was truly a freaky day for weather in Dubrovnik, from a hail storm to torrential rain and even a waterspout over the Adriatic. Today is very much the calm after the storm with blue skies and plenty of sunshine. The forecast for the next seven days looks like being much more settled, apart from Saturday when rain is predicted, with temperatures rising to between 15 and 16 degrees.

Check out this video that a reader sent us of the huge waterspout over the Adriatic near Dubrovnik.

What a difference a day makes. Today Dubrovnik is bathing in bright sunshine with blue skies but yesterday it was a different story with hail storms and torrential rain. The historic Old City of Dubrovnik still has evidence of the hail storm yesterday with piles of ice around the stone streets.

A reader sent us this video of the ice left on the streets in Dubrovnik and the cleaning crews scooping up the ice.

Dubrovnik was caught by in the middle of a hail storm yesterday and temperatures plummeted. The Old City looked more like a scene from a Lapland than a Mediterranean destination as the whole of the Stradun got a white blanket of hail.

And then as fast as the hail came it started to melt, bringing another problem, flooding.

This video sent to us by a reader shows the huge amount of water rolling down the Stradun.

The average net salary in Dubrovnik-Neretva County in the third quarter of 2024 was 1,232 euros, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics. The average gross salary across the whole county in the third quarter of this year was 1,674 euros.

Next year the minimum salary in Croatia will increase by 130 euros, meaning that the minimum salary in 2025 will be 970 euros gross.