WASHINGTON, April 13 (Hina) - Croatia is an area with the most successful returns of refugees who are members of national minorities, compared to other countries in the area of the former Yugoslavia (SFRY), the United States Institute
for Peace (USIP) assessed. USIP made its special report public in Washington reading that the process of return in the Croatian Danube River Area proceeded in a considerably more successful manner in 1999 as against previous years. The report cited data that 27,000 Serbs who had temporarily been in the Croatian Danube River Area came back to their homes in other Croatian parts, 40,000 displaced persons returned to the Danube River Area and another 33,000 Serb refugees came back from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Yugoslavia to Croatia. The fact that refugees are coming back both in an organised manner and also spontaneously shows that not only the Croatian Government
WASHINGTON, April 13 (Hina) - Croatia is an area with the most
successful returns of refugees who are members of national
minorities, compared to other countries in the area of the former
Yugoslavia (SFRY), the United States Institute for Peace (USIP)
assessed.
USIP made its special report public in Washington reading that the
process of return in the Croatian Danube River Area proceeded in a
considerably more successful manner in 1999 as against previous
years.
The report cited data that 27,000 Serbs who had temporarily been in
the Croatian Danube River Area came back to their homes in other
Croatian parts, 40,000 displaced persons returned to the Danube
River Area and another 33,000 Serb refugees came back from Bosnia-
Herzegovina and Yugoslavia to Croatia.
The fact that refugees are coming back both in an organised manner
and also spontaneously shows that not only the Croatian Government
and the international community have created conditions for the
return but that refugees also feel that there are conditions for
their safe return, the report read.
USIP mentioned some setbacks such as problems of moving into a house
or flat when other tenants are occupying them, some red-tape
obstacles and isolated incidents.
The Institute has noticed that a small number of young people is
coming back, and attributes this to economic problems in the areas
where refugees are to return.
Brad Blitz, an author of this report entitled 'Balkan Returns', has
warned that a low number of those who are returning to the Bosnian
Serb entity (the republic of Srpska) and some other areas
jeopardises the reconstruction, halts the process of
reconciliation and prevents permanent cessation of hostilities.
To give incentive to returnees, the international community has to
recognise the need of the active reconstruction and development as
well as to act on time, the USIP report said.
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