ZAGREB, Jan 13 (Hina) - Citizens of Croatia showed a strong interest +in working temporarily in Western countries, according to an +opinion poll conducted by the International Organisation for +Migration (IOM) in 1998 in 11 countries
in transition.+ Two thirds of 1,000 Croatian citizens who were interviewed face-to-+face would like to work abroad for a few months.+ According to the IOM poll, 57 per cent of Croatian respondents would +like to work in foreign countries for a few years.+ There were four categories of migration potential in the poll: +migration for the work abroad for a few weeks, for a few months, for +a few years and whether respondents would like to live in another +country for the rest of their life.+ The identical questions were asked in all 11 countries - Bulgaria, +Belarus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, +Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine and Yugoslavia - and the IOM de
ZAGREB, Jan 13 (Hina) - Citizens of Croatia showed a strong interest
in working temporarily in Western countries, according to an
opinion poll conducted by the International Organisation for
Migration (IOM) in 1998 in 11 countries in transition.
Two thirds of 1,000 Croatian citizens who were interviewed face-to-
face would like to work abroad for a few months.
According to the IOM poll, 57 per cent of Croatian respondents would
like to work in foreign countries for a few years.
There were four categories of migration potential in the poll:
migration for the work abroad for a few weeks, for a few months, for
a few years and whether respondents would like to live in another
country for the rest of their life.
The identical questions were asked in all 11 countries - Bulgaria,
Belarus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine and Yugoslavia - and the IOM described
it as the most comprehensive survey of migration potential of this
kind.
Very few people, from 7 to 26 per cent of respondents of the above
mentioned countries, would emigrate permanently opting mostly for
the "New World" (the United States, Canada and Australia). Eighteen
per cent (18%) of Croatian respondents, most of whom were young
people, said they would go to the "New World".
From 18 to 57 per cent of respondents in 11 countries would choose
long-term temporary migration ("guest workers").
Even 57 per cent of Croats would like to work abroad for a few years.
Target countries for Croats are Germany (42 per cent of respondents
chose it), U.S (12 per cent). Other countries where Croats would
like to go are Australia and New Zealand (10 per cent) and Austria (9
per cent).
Croat respondents cited better salaries abroad (95 percent),
better living conditions (92 per cent) as well as greater personal
and political freedom abroad (69 per cent)as reasons for their
migration potential.
The survey is interesting but not significant, said Croatian
Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Spomenka Cek.
According to Cek, the representative sample is small and therefore
it is not significant.
She added that it was unknown where exactly in Croatia the poll was
carried out. Since a similar survey has not been carried out by
Croatia, it is not possible to compare results, Cek said.
The Geneva-based International Organisation for Migration is an
inter-governmental organisation with 67 member-states including
Croatia. Forty seven countries have the status of observers.
As regards the strong interest of Croats in going abroad it is
important to know that there is a long tradition of guest working
from Croatia, the IOM said adding that 48 per cent of Croats have
relatives or friends in Western countries.
The IOM poll was conducted among respondents not younger than 15
year who were chosen by random sample. There were 1,000 interviews
in each of the 11 countries except Ukraine where there were 1,200
respondents.
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