Muslims and Serbs currently living in Croatia have also been denied citizenship or residency permits regardless of their previous residence, and they have been subject to exclusion and even deportation from Croatia. Until citizenship is formally granted, applicants are excluded from medical care, pensions, free education, and civil service employment. A pattern of ever-present and often open discrimination continues against ethnic Serbs in such areas as the administration of justice, employment, housing, and the free exercise of cultural rights. Serbs and other minorities also suffer from economic discrimination. The difficult economic situation continues to cause high employment, and ethnic minorities often seem to be the last hired and first fired.
Women continue to complain of receiving lower wages for equal work.
Both public and private radio and television broadcasting coexist, although government ownership of most print and broadcast outlets limits press freedom, despite guarantees of freedom of thought and expression in the Constitution. Government intimidation through the courts and other means also induces self-censorship. Many journalists continue to fear harassment and prosecution for defamation under the existing media laws. Rules for access to state-owned electronic media have restricted the ability of opposition parties to criticize government policies. This has limited their ability to fully engage the Government in open political dialogue.