KOSOVO CROAT REFUGEES ASK FOR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT

PETRINJA, April 24 (Hina) - A delegation of the society "Vila Velebita" that gathers people of the Lika descent (central Croatian region) who live in Zagreb and of the "Danica" humanitarian society on Sunday toured a refugee camp Dumace near Petrinja (50 kilometres south-east of Zagreb). Ethic Croats from Kosovo who arrived in Croatia last year are accommodated in that village. According to a statement released by "Vila Velebita", about 60 Croat families from Letnica, Vrnaz, Vrnavo Kolo and Sasar who fled Kosovo in the end of 1999 found shelter in Dumace. The two societies' delegation and representatives of these Kosovo Croats discussed their problems. Kosovo Croats' representatives told the delegation that Croatian authorities were taking care of them but recently there had been almost no contacts. They added that their status of refugees should have expired by the end of March and in April they should get the right of permanent abode in Croatia. They claimed that with the change of authorities in the country (since the elections) they have been left to shift for themselves. Members the "Vila Velebita" society pledged to contact the Government's office for refugees and relevant ministries in order to try solve their problems. They also promised to examine possibilities of their permanent settlement in the sparsely-populated region of Lika. The delegation from Zagreb delivered gifts to the Kosovo Croats on the occasion of Easter. (hina) ms