Despite the many problems that our country has, one of the biggest is the mass exodus of young people. It is estimated that Bosnia and Herzegovina loses one city every year.
It’s better to wish for her than to feel sorry for her, says Samir Džinović as he sends his daughter off to Germany. Young people with suitcases and a one-way ticket are an everyday sight at the bus station in Bihać.
“How do I look? You see the situation, everyone would like to see their children by their side, that’s normal, but the living conditions are non-existent. The standard is absolutely zero. And it’s normal that it’s difficult for all of us when we have to send them away from our country,” Džinović tells.
Although the primary motive for leaving is economic, Isnad Smajlović, who has a master’s degree in pharmacy, does not want to leave just for that reason. Political tensions that create a gloomy and insecure environment are constantly recurring.
“Many people mention the salary when they leave, but it is not a decisive factor. I am simply driven by the state of the country, constant uncertainty, political instability. A large number of my friends have gone to Germany. The impressions are positive, the system is much more organized, it is much easier to work your job in the profession. You are doing what you were trained for,” emphasizes Master of Pharmacy.
Studies do not give cause for optimism. Young people leave, but also those in their most productive years from 30 to 39. Employers also feel it. Edita Beganović, who is the owner of the pharmacy, finds it increasingly difficult to reach workers, and those from larger cities have a hard time deciding whether to come to a smaller one.
“And when I talk to the Employment Agency, my question to them is – Sarajevo and Tuzla are not different countries. We are asking for help, that those people sitting there at the office, who work for much less conditions than Bihać gives for a Master of Pharmacy because we are in trouble, it is ideal for people to help the institutions”, believes the owner of the pharmacy, Edita Beganović.
And until radical changes take place, Bosnia and Herzegovina will continue to lose its most valuable resource – people. Without a clear vision of how to retain people who want more than survival, Bosnia and Herzegovina will certainly have a hard time stopping the trend of young people emigrating.
