Return of refugees to Croatia

Reply-To: [email protected]
Sender: [email protected]
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, 3 May 1999 11:17:41 +0300 (EET DST)
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
Subject: Return of refugees to Croatia

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Felix Corley <[email protected]>

Return of refugees to Croatia


STRASBOURG, 29.4.99 - The Parliamentary Assembly today stressed the
unconditional right of refugees and displaced persons who fled their
homes in Croatia during the wars in former Yugoslavia to return
voluntarily to those homes on the basis of free and informed choice,
coupled with their right to recover their property.

In the recommendation adopted during its session, the Assembly
welcomed the various programmes adopted by the Croatian government in
order to facilitate the return of the refugees.

It noted, however, with concern that obstacles to their return
remained, which needed to be more vigorously addressed by the Croatian
authorities at all levels.

These obstacles included insecurity in the regions of return,
including harassment, intimidation and the presence of landmines; a
lack of inhabitable housing; depressed economic conditions, marked by
unemployment and discrimination against job-seekers belonging to
ethnic minorities; the difficulties those wishing to return faced in
obtaining the requisite citizenship and travel documents from the
Croatian authorities; threats of prosecution for alleged war crimes;
confusion surrounding the amnesty law; and a general political and
cultural climate that hinders reconciliation. The Assembly also noted
with concern that discriminatory legislation on reconstruction remains
in force.

According to UNHCR estimates, some 270,000 refugees from Croatia are
still in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, while some 30 - 40,000
are in Bosnia-Herzegovina (Republika Srpska). An estimated 3,000
Croatian Serbs and 52,000 ethnic Croats remain internally displaced.

The Parliamentary Assembly therefore recommended that the Croatian
government: ensure the security of returnees by means of effective
multiethnic policing; intensify its mine-clearance programme; issue
non-discriminatory guidelines to housing commissions; ensure that all
applications from returnees for financial aid for reconstruction of
property are dealt with swiftly and impartially; simplify and speed up
the process of issuing the requisite citizenship and travel documents
to potential returnees.

It also urged the member states of the Council of Europe to increase
their financial assistance and expertise for mine clearance and to
step up their provision of financial aid for reconstruction and
development, especially for the building of alternative accommodation
for people who have to leave property they occupied temporarily that
belongs to returnees.


A political organisation set up in 1949, the Council of Europe
promotes democracy and human rights continent-wide. It also develops
common responses to social, cultural and legal challenges in its 41
member states.


Press Contact
Sabine Zimmer, Council of Europe Press Service
Tel. +33 3 88 41 25 97 - Fax. +33 3 88 41 27 89
E-mail: [email protected]


-- 
==============================================================
MINELRES - a forum for discussion on minorities in Central&Eastern
Europe

Submissions: [email protected]  
Subscription/inquiries: [email protected] 
List archive: http://www.riga.lv/minelres/archive.htm
==============================================================