The Right to Know Where Croatia Is

Where is Croatia? Is Croatia in Eastern Europe? Is it in South Eastern Europe? Is it in Europe? Is it in the 'former Yugoslavia'? If professional people are being actively recruited in Croatia to live in Australia, everyone concerned requires accurate information, and a consistent and transparent approach to policy application. All relevant census data in Australia in relation to Croatia should be listed separately in public census publications.

The continuing high per capita migration rate from Croatia to Australia raises serious issues for health and other professional services, and political stability in the Croatian region, yet Croats are rarely mentioned in published Australian data about migration. In this context the propaganda told by a registered Australian migration agent, Hains-Wesson, in Croatia are an illegitimate repeat of the propaganda films and posters shown to Croats in European migrant camps after WWII. All post WWII migrants were told that they could experience 'eternal sunshine and a house by the sea' in Australia. (The Age, 20 Sept. 1992)

In the article, "Australian Immigration Agent Lures New Croatian Migrants with False Promises", (HV, New Generation, 25 Nov 2005) a registered Australian government immigration agent in Croatia was criticized for spreading false propaganda about the standard of living in Australia. This criticism is more than justified because Australia is a signatory to a "Commonwealth Code" for international immigration recruitment ethics.

In addition, investigation into the data about the sources of overseas trained doctors in Australia reveals that Croatian Medical Practitioners still fall under the category of 'former Yugoslavia' or 'Eastern and South Eastern Europe'. For example see on the internet the Australian Medical Journal data on overseas doctors who arrived in Australia between 1996 and 2001.

Immigration policies of wealthy nations which have a negative effect on the human rights of smaller or developing nations are coming under international scrutiny. For example, a draft Submission to the Productivity Commission Health Workforce Study of August 2005 on the 'People's Health Movement' website discusses Australia's moral obligations to global health.

An argument is made in the PHM draft submission that the human right to freedom of movement should be balanced with the human right to health services in developing nations. In this context, it has been proposed by the People's Health Movement that Australia should target recruitment from countries, for example in Eastern Europe, that may not have skills shortages.

There are vast differences in the size of Eastern European countries however and the rights of those peoples need to be considered also. There is no valid comparison between the negative effects on Croatia of the emigration of its professionals, with the effects of migration on Eastern European countries like Poland (over 38 million) or Russia (over 143 million).

Also, in Australia, Croatian emigration statistics should not be lumped together with data from Serbia & Montenegro which has over 10 million people, under the 'former Yugoslavia'. Table 1 illustrates that Croatia, which has a population less than half the size of Serbia & Montenegro, provides more Medical Practitioners to Australia.

The current targeted recruitment of professional migrants in Croatia does not conform to ethical guidelines. In support of this notion, in an Australian newspaper article entitled 'Australia Worst Culprit in 'brain drain' Scourge' (Age, 25 Oct 2005) it says that, "Australia's immigration policy of luring professionals and skilled workers from poorer countries could be damaging the countries they leave behind, depriving them of desperately needed doctors, nurses, nation-builders and reformers". Surely this statement applies to Croatia. (Note, in November 2009, another AMA campaign to recruit overseas medicos has been launched by the Australian Medical Association (WA), to attract doctors to fill acute shortages especially in Australian country areas. The AMA representative said that they would not attempt to recruit doctors from third world countries where it would be devastating for many communities to lose their local GP.)

It would appear, in spite of being a signatory to a Commonwealth Code of Ethics on immigration recruitment, that it is ethical for Australia to actively recruit medical practitioners and other professionals in Croatia, as a short-term solution to Australia's negative effect on the global health crisis! The fact that misleading propaganda about the cost of living in Australia must be told to accomplish this unethical recruitment of Croats is a contravention of Croatian human rights.

In conclusion, ambiguous data about Eastern Europe or even South Eastern Europe hides the high per capita emigration statistics from Croatia and, in this environment, unethical recruitment continues to damage democratic reform and professional services in Croatian society.