SARAJEVO, Nov 24 (Hina) - The return of refugees to their homes in +Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1998 will be realised to a lesser degree than +was planned, said Nicholas Morris, special envoy of the United +Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees for former Yugoslavia, in +Sarajevo on Tuesday. + There will also be no major progress next year if the Republika +Srpska fails to adopt appropriate property laws, Morris told +reporters. + By early December, 22,500 people returned to their homes in parts of +the Croat-Bosniak Federation where members of the other ethnic +group make a majority. This figure in the Bosnian Serb entity is +halved.+ The adoption of property laws by the Republika Srpska, which will +enable the return of property to refugees, is of absolute +importance if the return process is to continue in 1999, Morris +stressed.+ The process also requires additional financial support from the
SARAJEVO, Nov 24 (Hina) - The return of refugees to their homes in
Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1998 will be realised to a lesser degree than
was planned, said Nicholas Morris, special envoy of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for former Yugoslavia, in
Sarajevo on Tuesday.
There will also be no major progress next year if the Republika
Srpska fails to adopt appropriate property laws, Morris told
reporters.
By early December, 22,500 people returned to their homes in parts of
the Croat-Bosniak Federation where members of the other ethnic
group make a majority. This figure in the Bosnian Serb entity is
halved.
The adoption of property laws by the Republika Srpska, which will
enable the return of property to refugees, is of absolute
importance if the return process is to continue in 1999, Morris
stressed.
The process also requires additional financial support from the
international community, Morris said warning though, that the
creation of ideal conditions would not guarantee the return of all
refugees to their homes.
According to UNHCR figures, the refugee crisis is currently most
difficult in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), where there
is approximately half a million refugees and displaced people.
Some of these people have been living in refugee centres for seven
years, Morris added.
The special envoy said his organisation recommended that western
countries do not expel Kosovo refugees due to the current situation
in Kosovo, even if they do not meet asylum conditions.
The humanitarian situation in Kosovo may worsen if armed conflicts
reignite, Morris warned. Until the Organisation for Security and
Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) verification mission in Kosovo is
completed, there can be no firm guarantees that this will not
happen, he added.
(hina) jn ab/rml