Although 128,000 refugees have returned to Croatia so far, the UNHCR representative in Croatia Jean-Claude Concolato voiced concern about the results of a survey on the demographic profile of returnees, conducted this year by UNHCR, in cooperation with the HCR and Zagreb University.
The survey shows that a half of returnees are above the age of 65 and that since 1998 as much as 10 percent of registered returnees have died, Concolato said, underlining the need for the economic recovery of the areas of return, without which, he said, those areas would turn into deserts in the next two decades.
Concolato believes that EU pre-accession funds should be used to that end.
The head of the department for the OSCE and regional organisations at the Croatian Foreign Ministry, Marina Vasilj, agreed with Concolato, voicing hope that the EU would have understanding for the unique needs of the areas of return.
She added that EU funds did not recognise returnees as a specific category and that there were no pre-accession funds to ensure sustainable returns.
Assistant Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Development Milivoj Mikulic said that Croatia had mostly completed the return of refugees and displaced people, and that the government's efforts were currently directed mostly towards the return of citizens of Serb origin.
He recalled that the housing fund was almost completely destroyed in the war and that 196,000 houses, as well as infrastructure, were damaged or destroyed. Property restitution has been almost completed and 400 houses that were repossessed by their owners are being repaired, Mikulic said.
More than 142,000 houses and apartments worth 15.5 billion kuna have been reconstructed so far, around half a billion kuna is invested every year in the reconstruction of municipal and social infrastructure, Mikulic said, adding that 844 million kuna had been set aside for that purpose in the 2007 budget.
A part of that money is invested into economic and social recovery, an example being a World Bank loan, which is used mostly to assist farmers and trades people in areas directly affected by the war, Mikulic said.
As for former holders of tenancy rights, Mikulic said that housing had been provided for 3,200 families in areas directly affected by the war, and that as many would be provided for in the next three years. In August the government adopted a program worth 3.28 billion kuna to buy and build 4,000 apartments for that purpose, Mikulic said.
"The government wants to ensure sustainable conditions for return and the 29 billion kuna invested so far is the best proof of our determination to complete processes related to refugee return as soon as possible," Mikulic said.