Are Europe, the Croatian government and the media planning on emptying Slavonija, Baranja and the mountainous parts of Croatia to make room for migrants? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Croatian authorities are implementing a depopulation policy or that the country is being systematically emptied. Croatia has had a severe population decline for several years for various reasons. Due to the lack of Croatian workers, there is a need for foreign workers.
The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok on December 9, 2023. It began (translated from Croatian to English by Lead Stories staff):
A HUNGARIAN MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT WARNS CROATIANS ABOUT THE DANGEROUS PLAN OF EUROPE IN COOPERATION WITH THE AUTHORITIES AND THE MEDIA IN CROATIA!!!
Slavonia, Baranja, and the mountainous parts of Croatia are systematically and plannedly being emptied. Most of the migrants who cannot be deported to their home countries and who the West does not want will end up in these parts. The Hungarian also notes that Croatian authorities are well aware of this, but that they are not doing anything about it, and that every attempt to report on this topic is stifled at the start. He also states that currently the 'Balkan route' is the main route to the West and that this is the reason why all countries are moving their armies and the police to the borders, especially to borders they share with Croatia, and believes that Croatia will be a 'hotspot' for migrants, because they will not be allowed to go any further West. Folks, are we aware of what awaits us? Are we aware of the kind of traitors who are selling us out for a handful of Brussels pennies?
SHARE!! LET'S BREAK THE MEDIA SILENCE ON THIS SUBJECT!!
This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Thu Dec 14 09:10:46 2023 UTC)
Lead Stories conducted a Google search (archived here) on December 14, 2023, with the terms "Mađarski član EU Parlamenta pražnjenje Hrvatske" (as translated: "Hungarian member of the EU Parliament emptying Croatia"). The search showed no results to help identify the alleged Hungarian member of Parliament cited in the video.
The claim that Croatia is being emptied on purpose is baseless since depopulation has been affecting the country for the past 30 years. Croatia has had a negative demographic trend since 1991 due to low birth rates, aging processes, spatial polarization and the Homeland War in the 1990s. According to the 2021 Census, the number of inhabitants decreased from 2011 to 2021 by 413,056 units, or 9.64 percent. Also, many Croatians are emigrating: In 2021, 40,424 Croatians moved abroad, according to the Bureau of Statistics.
This has created a need for foreign workers, due to the lack of Croatian workers. S&P Global Ratings estimated that an additional 200,000 foreign workers, or 5 percent of Croatia's total population, are needed to satisfy the labor market needs. The issue of demographic revitalization in Croatia was included in the strategic program of the European Union until 2024, as recommended by Croatia. Lead Stories has previously debunked another claim related to population replacement in Croatia.
The claim that Croatian media are being silenced instead of reporting on this subject is false. Lead Stories searched on December 14, 2023, on the most relevant Croatian news agencies and found numerous articles on the migrant crisis in Croatia -- here (archived here), here, (archived here) and here (archived here).
The Western Balkans route is one of the main migratory paths into Europe, and accounts for irregular arrivals in the European Union (EU) throughout the region of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. The European Border and Coast Guard Agency deploys specialized officers, border surveillance vehicles and other equipment in Hungary and Croatia, the EU countries mostly affected by the migratory flows on the Western Balkans route, to counter illegal immigration and tackle cross-border crime throughout their territory.
