ZAGREB, April 24 (Hina) - Refugees and displaced persons who wish to be granted international financial assistance for their return to Bosnia-Herzegovina will have to request it by the end of next year, when the international
community will cease financing refugee returns to the country, Bosnia-Herzegovina Council of Ministers' Assistant Minister for Human Rights and Refugees, Mario Nenadic, said in Zagreb on Tuesday. Addressing a news conference at the UNHCR Mission's headquarters in Zagreb, Nenadic said about 725,000 of 2.2 million refugees had returned to their pre-war homes in Bosnia so far. Another 400,000 refugees have submitted return requests. "We welcome the Croatian government's decision to help finance refugee returns with 20 million kuna, which will help some 500 families to return to Bosnia-Herzegovina, that is, to its Posavina and Banja Luka regions," Nenadic said. Despite the fact
ZAGREB, April 24 (Hina) - Refugees and displaced persons who wish to
be granted international financial assistance for their return to
Bosnia-Herzegovina will have to request it by the end of next year,
when the international community will cease financing refugee
returns to the country, Bosnia-Herzegovina Council of Ministers'
Assistant Minister for Human Rights and Refugees, Mario Nenadic,
said in Zagreb on Tuesday.
Addressing a news conference at the UNHCR Mission's headquarters in
Zagreb, Nenadic said about 725,000 of 2.2 million refugees had
returned to their pre-war homes in Bosnia so far. Another 400,000
refugees have submitted return requests.
"We welcome the Croatian government's decision to help finance
refugee returns with 20 million kuna, which will help some 500
families to return to Bosnia-Herzegovina, that is, to its Posavina
and Banja Luka regions," Nenadic said.
Despite the fact that international funds for refugee returns to
Bosnia have been decreasing, the European Commission will provide
some 30 million euros, the U.S. Agency for International
Development will give another USD 30 million for reconstruction,
and additional funds will be provided by countries-donors, Nenadic
said. He added that Bosnia-Herzegovina had managed to secure on its
own DEM 60 million for refugee returns.
The news conference, which focused on voluntary return to Bosnia-
Herzegovina, was organised by the UNHCR Mission in Zagreb. Along
with Nenadic, speaking at the event were Federation of Bosnia-
Herzegovina Deputy Minister for Social Affairs, Displaced Persons
and Refugees, Mijat Tuka, and Republika Srpska Assistant Minister
for Refugees and Displaced Persons, Drago Vuleta.
Tuka said the new Bosnian authorities wanted to replace prevalent
spontaneous returns with organised ones.
Vuleta admitted that the implementation of property laws in the
Bosnian Serb entity had been hampered by numerous problems but the
situation had started improving with the arrival of the new
authority. Property restitution requests are being processed much
faster but not nearly as fast as should be.
(hina) sb rml