"Solving refugee issues condition for reconciliation"

The problems of refugees and exiled persons, with regards to their rights and property, have not been solved even 20 years after the start of Yugoslav wars. This was heard from participants in a debate held at the Serbian parliament in Belgrade on Monday. "Solving refugee issues condition for reconciliation" The process needs to be completed in order to give them a chance at a dignified life and to achieve reconciliation in the region, it was heard at the public hearing entitled "Exercising the rights of refugees and exiled persons in the countries of origin," organized by the parliamentary Committee on Labor, Ex-Servicemen's and Social Issues on World Refugee Day. There were over 43 million refugees in the world at the end of last year. Commissioner for Refugees Vladimir Cucic pointed out that all countries in the region needed to provide a durable, transparent and easily accessible path to exercising individual rights, as this was the only way to complete the process, adding this was what Serbia had been insisting on. He said he expected a lot from the donor conference which would be held late this or early next year, "as the latest collective attempt to solve this problem in the region." Due to the fact that most refugees have chosen to stay in Serbia and become integrated into its society, the country can count on a significant portion of the funds from the conference, which could help to solve the problems of 16,780 families over the next four to five years, Cucic said. Today, there are around 74,000 people with refugee status in Serbia, most of them from Croatia. Some 3,500 still live in group housing. He noted that a staggering 98 percent of refugees from Bosnia-Herzegovina managed to reclaim their rights and solve their problems, which is a unique example in the world, while the problem has proven much more complex in Croatia. The biggest problems for around 500,000 refugees from Croatia include being denied acquired rights and property, unpaid pensions and savings, and gaps in years of service, said president of the refugee association in Serbia Miodrag Linta. Other problems include unresolved missing persons cases, as well as prosecution of war crimes and other crimes committed during the conflict, since, in his opinion, the Croatian judiciary remains ethnically motived. Half a million Serbs were driven from Croatia, but only 50,000 mostly elderly people returned, since Croatia has not created conditions for sustainable return, Linta reminded. "That is why we want the EU to tackle these issues, so that durable and just solutions can be found, in the interest of these people, as well as Serbia, Croatia and the EU, as this will contribute to reconciliation between the two nations," Linta stressed. Ljubimka Mitrovic of UNHCR Belgrade said Serbia was a shining example in the treatment of refugees, as it had allowed most of them to get Serbian citizenship and identity cards. (Beta)

"Solving refugee issues condition for reconciliation"

The process needs to be completed in order to give them a chance at a dignified life and to achieve reconciliation in the region, it was heard at the public hearing entitled "Exercising the rights of refugees and exiled persons in the countries of origin," organized by the parliamentary Committee on Labor, Ex-Servicemen's and Social Issues on World Refugee Day.

There were over 43 million refugees in the world at the end of last year.

Commissioner for Refugees Vladimir Čučić pointed out that all countries in the region needed to provide a durable, transparent and easily accessible path to exercising individual rights, as this was the only way to complete the process, adding this was what Serbia had been insisting on.

He said he expected a lot from the donor conference which would be held late this or early next year, "as the latest collective attempt to solve this problem in the region."

Due to the fact that most refugees have chosen to stay in Serbia and become integrated into its society, the country can count on a significant portion of the funds from the conference, which could help to solve the problems of 16,780 families over the next four to five years, Čučić said.

Today, there are around 74,000 people with refugee status in Serbia, most of them from Croatia. Some 3,500 still live in group housing.

He noted that a staggering 98 percent of refugees from Bosnia-Herzegovina managed to reclaim their rights and solve their problems, which is a unique example in the world, while the problem has proven much more complex in Croatia.

The biggest problems for around 500,000 refugees from Croatia include being denied acquired rights and property, unpaid pensions and savings, and gaps in years of service, said president of the refugee association in Serbia Miodrag Linta.

Other problems include unresolved missing persons cases, as well as prosecution of war crimes and other crimes committed during the conflict, since, in his opinion, the Croatian judiciary remains ethnically motived.

Half a million Serbs were driven from Croatia, but only 50,000 mostly elderly people returned, since Croatia has not created conditions for sustainable return, Linta reminded.

"That is why we want the EU to tackle these issues, so that durable and just solutions can be found, in the interest of these people, as well as Serbia, Croatia and the EU, as this will contribute to reconciliation between the two nations," Linta stressed.

Ljubimka Mitrović of UNHCR Belgrade said Serbia was a shining example in the treatment of refugees, as it had allowed most of them to get Serbian citizenship and identity cards.