About 2.2 million people with origins in BiH live as emigrants, and according to experts, if current migration trends continue, in the foreseeable future there will be more domestic population outside the country’s borders than in its territory.
In the report on the implementation of the policy on cooperation with emigration for the year 2023, which was prepared by the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it was stated that migration from the country created a strong diaspora, i.e. emigration.
Of the estimated number of the domestic population living outside the borders, ie 2.2 million, 1.8 million of them were born in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“The largest number of emigrants maintain strong ties with BiH, especially with their places of origin, with the desire to contribute to the economic and social development of BiH. People in the diaspora are most interested in contributing to the development of the country through the transfer of knowledge and experience,” the report stated.
They also add that with the new generations in emigration, the connection and sense of belonging to the country of origin is weakening.
“The new generations of young people in emigration are more educated and better integrated in the receiving countries, and therefore a great resource for contributing to the development of the country of origin,” it is stated in the document of the line ministry.
They also emphasize that the current situation requires a systematic and proactive approach to the issue of emigration by relevant institutions at all levels of government.
Demographers, on the other hand, claim that in the foreseeable future, if current trends continue, more people of BiH origin will be outside its borders than in the country itself.
“Historically, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country of emigration. As long as the level of development and living standards in the West and the Balkan countries are significantly different, people will leave Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, but also Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania, even though they are members of the European Union. It is even easier for them to leave these countries, and if Bosnia and Herzegovina joins the European Union in the foreseeable future, only then will people start to leave the country en masse,” demographer Stevo Pašalić told “Glas Srpska”.
He also believes that BiH would stand to lose more than gain by joining the European Union.
“Experiences from Croatia show that many more people started leaving that country than before, that is, when it was not a member of the European Union,” said Pašalić.
He also believes that the demographic picture of BiH cannot be improved by encouraging births.
“We should reach for non-demographic solutions and act through education and the labor market. A well-paid, safe and stable job leaves people, everything else sends them abroad, that is, to the West. One-time monetary compensations will not bring any solutions. No one will give birth to a child if they will receive a thousand, 2,000 or 3,000 marks. Those measures are only popular, but they do not bring any solutions,” Pašalić said.
What would be a good measure, emphasizes Pašalić, is to enable free stay in kindergartens, both public and private, for everyone in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“The stay of two children in kindergarten today costs around 600 or even 700 marks. People can’t stand it. In addition to all that, they are in loans, over-indebted. Therefore, a safe and well-paid job is the only solution for a better demographic picture of BiH,” Pašalić concluded.
According to data from the 2013 BiH census, the country has 3,531,159 inhabitants, of which 2,219,220 are in the FBiH, 1,228,423 in the Republika Srpska, while the Brčko District has 83,516 inhabitants.
Austria in first place
In November last year, the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees asked the diplomatic and consular missions (DKP) of BiH for data on how many emigrants there are in the countries where BiH has these missions.
“So far, we have received answers from several DKPs. According to these data, 98,461 expatriates live in Austria, and between 40,000 and 50,000 in Australia, while in third place is Italy, where 21,234 people of BiH origin live,” it was stated in the report of the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees, Glas Srpske reports.
