ANOTHER GROUP OF CROATIAN SERB REFUGEES TO RETURN IN MID-FEBRUARY

ZAGREB, Feb 5 (Hina) - The return of the next group of Croatian Serbs from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is expected to be in mid-February within a family reunion programme, the Zagreb-based UNHCR headquarters reported on Wednesday. As part of 12 groups, 469 Serbs have came back to Croatia so far, who fled the country after the actions 'Flash' and 'Storm when Croatian areas were liberated in 1995. Families of Serb refugees, who would like that their families' members can return, submit applications to the Croatian office for refugees and displaced persons. When the office responded positively, UNHCR provided the returnees with transportation from Yugoslavia to Croatia and, if necessary, it ensured overnight stay in Zagreb and further transportation from Zagreb to their final destination, a UNHCR worker, Lea Bauman, told the Croatian national news agency, Hina. According to Bauman, a family reunion is for the time being the only basis on which Croatian Serb refugees who have had no Croatian documents, can return to Croatia. The UNHCR is also engaged in implementing an EVI (Extremely Vulnerable Individuals) project, as part of the family reunion programme. The project comprises the return of Croatian Serb refugees at request of old and feeble members of their families, who remain to live in Croatia. According to estimates by UNHCR, there area about 3,000 old and weak persons in the Croatian areas that had been under rebel Serbs' occupation. Out of 469 Croatian Serb returnees, 28 persons have come back under the EVI project. UNHCR and International Red Cross (ICRC) workers have talked with 549 persons in the areas in question, who need care and who have asked for the return of about 1,000 members of their families. The Zagreb-based UNHCR representatives say they are cooperating very well with Croatian authorities in the implementation of the family reunion programme. They add that it would be desirable if solutions of requests of old and weak persons, who are now alone, may be stepped up for the specific character of the EVI project. (hina) jn mš 051717 MET feb 97