REFUGEES RELOCATED FROM PINETA TO SAVUDRIJA CENTRE

ZAGREB, Aug 8 (Hina) - About 1,100 refugees were relocated from Pineta to the Savudrija refugee centre of Borozija on 4 and 5 August, Croatian Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Kostovic said at today's press conference. The refugees had declined to leave the resort of Pineta for some time, but their moving to the Savudrija centre was carried out in accordance with humanitarian standards, Minister Kostovic stressed. "The biggest problem in the refugees' accommodation that Croatia might face by the end of this year is the arrival of from 20,000 to 40,000 expelled people from the area of Banja Luka (the Serb-conquered territory in northwestern Bosnia) as well as the return of refugees from third countries," he added. According to Minister Kostovic, the other countries should not return refugees to Croatia, because it does not have any more facilities available for accommodation of fresh waves of refugees. Commenting on Sweden's announcement to return 5,000 Bosnian- Herzegovinian refugees to Croatia, Minister Kostovic noted "Sweden's conduct is proper according to international law" and added that "it was the humanitarian approach and not a legal stance that is important." In this context the head of the Croatian office for displaced persons and refugees, Adalbert Rebic, said that the Swedish government had been requested to return refugee in smaller groups with a previous 10-day announcement, so that they could be properly accommodated upon their arrival in Croatia. The Swedish government is willing to offer financial aid for the returnees, Rebic said. In connection with the return of several dozens of Bosnian- Herzegovinian refugees from Croatia to the free zones of Tuzla, Zenica and Visoko the secretary-general of the Croatian office for refugees, Josip Esterajher, said that the these repatriates had left Croatia on their own and no one had been forced to move from Croatia where all refugees' rights were ensured for them. Esterajher added that the refugees whom the rights had been suspended due to their refusal to be relocated, could again get those rights. (hina) mar mm 081337 MET aug 94