On 18 October 2021, the President of the Council of Europe anti-torture Committee (CPT), Alan Mitchell, met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Davor Božinović, in Zagreb to discuss the treatment of migrants deprived of their liberty. There was mutual recognition that there has to be a coordinated European approach to managing the entry of large numbers of migrants into Europe. The Deputy Prime Minister recalled his Ministry’s position that every clear allegation of ill-treatment or excessive use of force by police officers would be investigated. He referred to the rapid steps taken following the recent publication of video footage of migrants being beaten by members of the intervention police. He also referred to the multiple measures taken by his Ministry to promote professionalism among police officers and to bolster internal and external oversight of police actions.

From 25 to 29 October 2021, during its 106th plenary meeting the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) held an exchange of views between the CPT and the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, one of the subjects discussed during the exchange was immigration detention/pushbacks.