Serbian denied Croatian work permit, banned over 'Greater Serbian' social media posts

Croatian authorities have finalized a three-year ban on entry and stay for Serbian citizen Miloš Pejatović, who had sought to work seasonally as a waiter on the island of Korčula. The decision stems from a security assessment by the Security and Intelligence Agency (SOA) that deemed him a threat to national security and public order.

Pejatović's application for a work and residence permit was initially rejected by the Ministry of Interior following the SOA's assessment. Police gave him seven days to leave the country voluntarily and imposed the three-year entry ban. The core of the security concern, as reported by Jutarnji list, lay in Pejatović's Instagram posts. Croatian authorities interpreted these posts, viewed from a "Greater Serbian perspective," as threatening the territorial integrity and constitutional order of Croatia, potentially harming inter-ethnic relations and public order.

Pejatović contested the decision, arguing he posed no threat and questioning the legality of the procedures, particularly his lack of access to all classified information used in the security assessment. However, the Constitutional Court dismissed his claims. The court concluded that the relevant authorities had sufficient grounds to deny his request and that he was aware of the reasons for the security impediment, with opportunities to respond during the process. The court also ruled that the non-disclosure of some SOA data did not violate his right to a fair trial, as administrative courts had access to the classified information.