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This article explores the paradox of a globalized cooperative world that appears conducive to openness, yet simultaneously witnesses the proliferation of closed borders, physical barriers, and increased border militarization. The objective is to research, analyze, and categorize the various types of border militarization, offering both theoretical and practical perspectives. We propose new definitions for border militarization to encompass its diverse expressions, ranging from overt to subtle forms. This study focuses on border militarization within Europe, specifically in peripheral countries on the outer fringes of the European Union's Schengen regime, employing a comparative case study methodology. It provides in-depth insights into two similar cases and practical militarization following the 2015-2016 European migration crisis in Croatia and Poland. While the research has limitations, including its eurocentric focus and limited generalizability, the conclusions shed light on post-migration crisis long-term effects in Europe and the growing phenomenon of subtle and covert border militarization.

Abstract
Hybrid threats are not new security challenges, but they are becoming more and more pronounced, primarily due to the situation in Ukraine, where multiple hybrid activities are underway by Russia. As central actors in the European security architecture, the European Union and NATO recognise that both organisations, their member states and other countries in Europe are exposed to various forms of hybrid threats. However, this ability to recognise hybrid threats and especially the development of counter-hybrid solutions is an open question for some smaller countries. In order to investigate the above, this paper focuses on hybrid threats and counter-hybrid solutions by analysing the state of affairs in Croatia, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our goal is to explore this area and answer the following research questions: What hybrid threats are Croatia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina exposed to? How do they deal with them? What counter-hybrid solutions are being developed?

This research article aims to provide answers on how COVID-19 pandemics influenced migration law, policy responses, and practices in Croatia, particularly concerning migrants on the Western Balkan route. Throughout the EU, governments have reinstituted border controls in the Schengen region and any "nonessential travel" to the EU has been suspended. In this study, it is analyzed whether asylum seekers have been denied entry in violation of international refugee law and whether immigration officers held detainees because of the risks posed by COVID-19 alongside Croatian borders. In addition, the study addresses the question whether and to what degree the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the overall approach toward migrants and their access to services, primarily the right to health care. Also, it is researched whether facilities for migrants and asylum seekers have appropriate health care and whether the measures imposed by the Croatian Institute of Public Health and by the National Emergency Response Team are respected when dealing with migrants. In addition, it is researched whether the EU, UN, and WHO policies and recommendation concerning COVID-19 and migrants, where applicable, are respected in the Republic of Croatia and whether specific policies concerning migrants and COVID-19 were introduced. All legislation, policy responses, and practices will be critically approached and examined. The text will make proposals for implementation of best practices and policy responses for migrants in the context of COVID-19. All statistical data that are necessary for this research are requested from the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia.

We live in a globalised world characterized by constant crises in numerous social and geographical areas. Political instability, climate change, overpopulation, uncontrolled migration, poor governance, crime, as well as many other factors create the circumstances from which crises can develop. Each crisis given its causes and possible consequences requires different approaches and response systems. This research focuses on considering modern technological solutions that have the purpose of alerting and protecting individuals from risks and threats that can lead to their suffering, caused by natural, technical-technological and anthropogenic crisis events. It also aims to link the theory of human security and the big data concept and present their application through the development of the early warning system for crisis management in the Republic of Croatia. This research has significant value because it analyses and describes the establishment of a particular system in the world.

Migracije su fenomen koji se proteže kroz cijelu ljudsku povijest; one predstavljaju potrebu i nužnost. Brojni su push and pull uzročni faktori. Suvremene masovne migracije pretežno su obilježene premještanjem ljudi koji, u kombinaciji bijega od ratnih sukoba, disfunkcionalnih sustava upravljanja, klimatskih promjena i neimaštine, nastoje stići do sigurnijih i ekonomski razvijenih zemalja. Premda se većina trenutačne svjetske populacije migranata nalazi u državama Azije i Afrike, najveća pozornost posvećena je situacijama u kojima manje skupine pokušavaju dospjeti do država Europske unije, Australije ili primjerice SAD-a. Premda su ulazne migracije nužnost spomenutih zemalja, one nisu spremne za velike priljeve migranata, već navedeno žele projektirano odraditi kroz duže razdoblje. U tu svrhu razvijaju brojne politike, mjere i mehanizme, koji su predmet analize ovoga rada. Rad se posebno bavi kontekstom stvaranja i usporedbom migracijskih politika i postupaka Europske unije i Australije, njihovim sličnostima i razlikama. ; Migration is a phenomenon present throughout human history, as a need and a necessity. There are numerous push and pull factors which cause it. Modern mass migration is mostly marked as "relocating people who in combination with escape from war, dysfunctional management systems, climate change and poverty try to reach safer and economically developed countries". Although most of the current world population of migrants is located in countries of Asia and Africa, the greatest attention was paid to cases where small groups are trying to reach the European Union countries, Australia or the USA. Though in-migration is a necessity in these countries, they are not ready for large inflows of migrants and they want this process to unwind during a longer period of time. For this purpose, they develop a number of policies, measures and mechanisms, which are also the subject of analysis in this paper. This research is especially focused on the context of creation and comparison of the migration policy and procedures of the European Union and Australia, their similarities and differences.

Migrations have been inevitable from the earliest history up to the modern times and they have constituted one of the foundations on which today's world has been built. Mostly developed countries encouraged the arrival of migrants who positively impacted the labour market. In last few decades developed countries have reduced the possibilities of legal immigration, while on the other hand crisis focal points all over the world have caused refugee and migration crises; desire to live in richer and more developed societies has been growing. Occasionally, due to events such as the migration crisis in Europe in 2015 and 2016, migrations became the most current issue for numerous subjects – from individuals, states and international organizations – to deal with. Today there are several political parties in the EU member states with very negative attitudes regarding migrants and further immigration in their program, and in some states, they are the ruling parties. Depending on the time, space and context, migrations are perceived, analysed and understood differently. The large migration crisis in Europe in 2015 and 2016 has shown that the European Union is unprepared for major migrations and that many countries, including Croatia, have no official migration policies. It exposed some of the weaknesses other than the lack of official policies and pointed out the advanced radicalization of the social and political scene in some countries, poor implementation of integration policies, misunderstanding of challenges and lack of understanding for the needs of others and "different". It "shifted" the migration issues almost completely to security policies. This paper offers an analysis of these challenges related to the phases of handling them during the crisis, decisions of main actors and suggestions for improving the existing policies and better understanding of migrations challenges. ; Migracije su neminovna pojava od najranije povijesti sve do suvremenog doba, te predstavljaju temelje na kojima je izgrađen današnji svijet. Uglavnom razvijene države poticale su dolazak migranata koji su pozitivno utjecali na tržište rada. U posljednjih nekoliko desetljeća razvijene zemlje smanjile su mogućnosti legalne imigracije, dok su s druge strane krizna žarišta diljem svijeta generirala migracijske i izbjegličke krize, a raste i želja za životom u bogatijim i razvijenijim društvima. Povremeno, zbog događanja poput migrantske krize u Europi 2015. i 2016. godine, postaju najaktualnije pitanje kojim se bave brojni subjekti od pojedinaca, preko država do međunarodnih organizacija. Danas postoji nekoliko političkih stranaka u državama članicama Europske unije koje u svojim programima proklamiraju vrlo negativan stav prema migrantima i daljnjoj imigraciji, a u nekim državama to su vladajuće stranke. U ovisnosti o vremenu, prostoru i kontekstu migracije se različito doživljavaju, analiziraju i shvaćaju. Velika migrantska kriza u Europi 2015. i 2016. godine pokazala je kako je Europska unija nespremna za velike migracije, te da mnoge države, uključujući Hrvatsku, nemaju službene migracijske politike. Spomenuta kriza razotkrila je i neke druge slabosti osim same odsutnosti službenih politika, te je ukazala je na uznapredovanu radikalizaciju društvene i političke scene u pojedinim državama, slabu primjenu integracijskih politika, nerazumijevanje izazova i neshvaćanje potreba drugih i "drugačijih" te "prebacivanje" bavljenja pitanjima migracija gotovo potpuno u okvire sigurnosne politike. Ovaj rad nudi analizu navedenih izazova vezano uz faze postupanja tijekom krize, odluke glavnih aktera i prijedloge unapređenja postojećih politika i shvaćanja izazova migracija.