About 2.2 million citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) left their homes since the beginning of the war to 1995, and according to data of international organizations, a total of 1.025.011 people returned. Out of that number, about 72 percent returned to Federation of BiH (FBiH), about 26 percent to Republika Srpska (RS) and about 2 percent to Brcko District.
According to data of the Union for Sustainable Return, property restitution was made in 99.8 percent of cases. Currently 98.578 persons have the official status of internally displaced persons in BiH, of which one third is still under threat. Approximately 20.000 persons are officially registered as refugees from BiH residing outside the country of origin. The number of vulnerable minority returnees is 47.000.
The Union says that about 327.000 homes have been built or restored, and more than 2.700 residential facilities are without electrification. 10.675 people do not have health insurance, and 8.994 families are in a state of social need without any income, while only 0.8-1 percent of returnees work. There are still over 100 collective centers in BiH, and 2.3 percent of our country is under mines, which means there are 84 thousand unbroken mines.
“In the period from 2015 to 2017, our organization, in cooperation with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), conducted field research on socially vulnerable families, which included 53 local communities in BiH, where 2.449 returnee and 1.191 displaced families were visited. Out of that number, 78 percent of the returnees is unemployed, 87 percent of returnees and displaced persons are below the poverty line, and 20 percent of returnees and displaced families have a mental and/or physical handicapped member, “ they said from the Union for Sustainable Return.
They remind of the research on the emigration of BH citizens from the country, where they came to the data that 151.101 persons left from 2013 to October 2017. The cause of mass emigration is an economic crisis, lack of perspective, disrespect for basic human rights and political situation in the country.
They point out that their activities will be with focus on the implementation of Annex VII of the Dayton Peace Agreement, as there are many needs in BiH, from economic sustainability, health and social protection to infrastructure problems, roads, sewage, water, reconstruction of residential facilities and electrification.
(Source: Klix.ba)
