Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.3935/zpfz.75.5.2
How Much Do Law Students in Croatia Know About the Rights of Asylees? Comparison of Results From 2019 and 2024
Marko Mrakovčić
orcid.org/0000-0002-4919-0277
; Faculty of Law, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
Goranka Lalić Novak
orcid.org/0000-0001-5984-9779
; Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Margareta Gregurović
orcid.org/0000-0002-7659-0794
; Institute for Migration Research, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Knowledge of the right to asylum, as guaranteed by legal regulations, represents a crucial link between the theoretical understanding of the legal system and its practical application in the protection of fundamental human rights. Given the significance of asylum/international protection in the Croatian context, this paper aims to examine the extent to which law students in Croatia are informed about these issues during their studies, the level of their knowledge concerning the rights arising from asylum status, and the importance they attribute to the realisation of such rights. The research is based on a qualitative analysis of the curricula of compulsory and elective courses at four Croatian law schools – Zagreb, Rijeka, Split, and Osijek – and on a survey conducted among law students at these institutions at two time points: 2019 and 2024. The findings indicate that the topic of asylum and the rights associated with it are not systematically addressed in the curricula and largely depend on course selection and individual instructors’ and students’ interests in asylum issues. Furthermore, law students’ overall knowledge remains limited, with the 2024 results showing a decline in understanding of asylum seekers’ rights compared to 2019. In both survey cycles, fourth-year students demonstrated, on average, a somewhat higher level of knowledge than first-year students. Students who exhibited greater knowledge about asylum issues also placed more importance on the realisation of related rights, although they did not express a strong interest in active professional engagement with this subject.
Keywords
asylum; international protection; law students; knowledge about the right to asylum, Croatia
Hrčak ID:
344576
URI
Publication date:
12.2.2026.
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