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Home , Civil resistance, Yugoslavs

YUGOSLAV REFUGEES, DISPLACED PERSONS AND THE CIVIL WAR Mirjana Morokvasic Freie UniversitM, Berlin and Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris

Background case among the socialist countries. The within the boundaries of former and declared present tragedy can only be compared , the Yugoslav case may also independence on 25 June 1991. That to that of the Second World War; from help de-dramatize the East I West was the date of the "collective an international perspective, the invasion scenarios which predict thanatos"' which led to the United Nations High Commission on disruptive mass movements caused by disintegration of Yugoslavia. As a Refugees (UNHCR) compares it in political and ethnic violence or result of German pressure, the scope, scale of atrocities and ecological catastrophe in the countries European Community, followed by a consequences for the population, to the aligned with the former . number of other states, recognized the Cambodian civil war. The Demographic Structure In three ways, analyzing the independence of the secessionist The 600,000 to 1 million displaced refugees' situation contributes to our republics on 15 January 1992 and persons referred to above come from understanding of issues beyond the buried the second Y~goslavia.~ Croatia, whose total population is 4.7 human tragedy of the people Although the Westernmedia have million (see Figure 1).Moreover, most themselves. First, it demystifies the now shifted their attention to the of these people come from a relatively genesis of the Yugoslav conflict, which former , where other small area the front line, which is now is often reduced to a matter "ethnic - similar and potentially even more under the control of the Yugoslav hatred." It shows that the separation of dangerous ethnic conflicts are brewing, Army and Serbian forces. This means populations along ethnic lines, while that is not because genuine peace has that in the course of six months, an favouredby the power elites of Croatia, been established in former Yugoslavia. average of at least 100,000 people were Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, To the contrary: blood continues to forced to leave their homes each month. only intensifies existing problems or flow among the civilian population Vast areas have been devastated and creates new ones. Second, it draws and among military and paramilitary depopulated. attention to a category of refugee for personnel. As I write, the war is In general, the destinations of the whom "political refugee" status does spreading to refugees are the larger urban centres not apply and therefore underscores - and threatens to turn into a disaster of notably the capitals of the republics, the need to grant these people more far wider scope than the war in Croatia. but also such regions as and security and protection than they have The conflict has already claimed 3,083 . About 300,000 refugees have so far enjoyed. Third, given the civilian victims according to Croatian sought shelter in safe areas of Croatia. relatively small number of refugees sources. The Yugoslav Army has Over 160,000 have fled to who have fled abroad compared to the confirmed about 1,279 dead soldiers. (including Vojvodina), around 100,000 But it is reliably estimated that from number who have sought refuge 10,000 to 30,000people have been killed in all and another 30,000 people are Table 1: Number of Displaced Persons by Region of Destination, reported mi~sing.~ Yugoslavia, 31 December 1991 and 10 February 1992 The estimated number of refugees ranges from 600,000 to over 1 milliona4 31 Dec/91 10 Febl92 Percent Change This is the third mass migration of Croatia 311,000 321,966 3.5 Yugoslavians since 1939. The first Serbia proper 90,414 99,993 10.6 consisted of people fleeing persecution in the Second World War and the Vojvodina 59,822 61,390 2.6 mainly involuntary internal migration 1,169 1,519 29.9 and emigration of Yugoslavians in the Bosnia-Herzegovina 100,000 92,094 -7.9 immediate post-war period. The Slovenia 23,000 16,000 -30.4 second mass population movement was a legal labour migration, mainly to 7,000 7,450 6.4 various West European countries as Macedonia 2,050 2,400 17.1 part of the "guest worker" programme Total 594,455 604,812 1.7 of the and 1970s. It was a unique Source: International Red Cross

Refuge, Vol. 11, No. 4 (May 1992) 3 to Bosnia and Herzegovina and 23,000 latter, with its 55,000 inhabitants, into a countries to'tolerate' their presence for to Slovenia. As Table 1 suggests, the large refugee campas the time being was made public. The most recent events - increasing Far fewer people have sought recent Swiss decision to repatriate tensions and hostilities over the future shelter abroad than in Yugoslavia 14,000 Yugoslavs "because their lives of the multiethnic republic of Bosnia itselfS6That is because people know were no longer in danger," has been and Herzegovina - have now their chances of receiving political criticized by the UNHCR in Geneva. In established a reverse trend: refugees asylum are practically nil. In Germany, Germany, the target country of most have been leaving Bosnia and for example, only about one percent of Yugoslav asylum-seekersand refugees Herzegovina at a rate of several Yugoslavian asylum seekers in 1991 not requestingasylum (estimatesof the thousand a day. In only one day, 29 actually received asylum. In the fall of number of such people vary from March 1992,6,000 refugees crossed the 1991 most of the Yugoslavs who 50,000 to 150,000), the decision not to bridge connecting the Bosnian town of entered various European countries as repatriate them was taken at a Bosanski Brod with the Croatian town tourists remained underground until conference of Ministers of the Interior of Slavonski Brod, transforming the the decision adopted by most of the of the Llnder on 8 November 1991. The decision applies to refugees from Croatia and to deserters from the Yugoslav army. Refugees are granted Fig, 1: Refugee Movements in Yugoslavia financial aid whether they apply for asylum or not.' The main receiving countries are neighbouring Hungary and the countries where Yugoslavs previously went as migrant labourers. One may reasonably assume that newly arriving refugees in the latter countries are greeted by already-established friendship and kin networks. In France, visa requirements were imposed in 1986 for Yugoslavs and that has deterred the inflow of refugees. Elsewhere in Western Europe, Yugoslavs, together with Romanians, rank first in number of asylum Sha lded area indicates applicants. the main rnnv~rn~ntanf Among migrants within former displaced Yugoslavia, women and children under fifteen years of age represent two-thirds of the refugee flowa8(Men were either drafted into the military or are hiding and therefore do not appear in the official figures.) For an entire generation of former Yugoslavia's youth, this has had disastrous effects on their critically important period of childhood development. The war zone from which the refugees come was an ethnicallymixed area for centuries (see Figure 1). Villages tend to be predominantly Serb or Croat, depending on the region. But in urban areas, , , , , and Hungarians lived as neighbours and intermarried. Thus, before the war, Vukovar had 40,000 inhabitants, 43 percent of whom were Croats, 37

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------pp ------percent Serbs, 7.3 percent Yugoslavs, particular in binational families - and Amidst all the nationalistic euphoria, 1.6percent Hungarians and 3.5 percent in some front-line towns fully half of all non-nationalist expressions took much other ethnic origin^.^ families were ethnicallymixed. Among longer to get articulated. It was only in In front-line towns such as the many families who resisted February 1992 that the Civil Resistance Vukovar, Daruvar, Pakrac, Beli separation along ethnic lines, the war Movement was created by people from Manastir, Osijek and Petrinja, the produced thousands of stateless various parts of former Yugoslavia to proportion of "Yugoslavs" (people persons, with no place to go and no protect the rights of people who come who refused to define themselves as place to go back to. Wherever they from ethnically mixed families and Serbs, Croats, etc.) was increasing reside, Serbia or Croatia, such people identify themselves as Yugoslavs. constantly until the 1981 census, when are now considered potential enemies, Motives for Flight it was around 20 percent. The "traitors against the nation." One Outbursts of hatred and violence did proportion of Yugoslavs fell to 15 person from a mixed marriage whom I not cause the war, as has usually been percent in 1991 due to nationalist interviewed reported that: assumed. Rather, hatred and violence propaganda and subsequent ethnic I have always been closer to my mother. are the war's by-products. The war polarization. The war and the ensuing 1felt Croatian, Catholic, I even went to church. But I have now repeatedly been revived memories of Second World displacement of persons created War massacres. But that was after further polarization and ethnic told that 1 cannot stay in Croatia and keep myjob-not even witha singledrop almost half a century of peaceful homogenization: Croats fled mainly to coexistence and the widespread Croatia, Serbs to Serbia and to Bosnia- of Serbian blood in my veins. The situation became unbearable, so I left for disregard of nationality and religion. Herzegovina. Clearly, people who where I thought 1 would be The use of Goebelsian propaganda in a spoke one language, shared the same better accepted; but there 1 was an steady, aggressive media war was culture and intermarried could only be 'Ustascha Croat.' necessary to disrupt that situation. separated by such violent methods. This person eventually applied for Several surveys drive home the Assuming that most of those who asylum in Germany. point. The most recent one was found shelter in Serbia, and at least half The fate of such refugees conducted in Serbia among 650 of those who found shelter in Bosnia- demonstrates the fallacy of ethnic refugees from Croatia, who originated Herzegovnia, are Serbs, one arrives at a solutions to the Yugoslavian problem. in 52 ethnically heterogeneous total of 200,000 to 250,000 Serbian There are about three million communities. Two-thirds of the internal refugees. Knowing that the Yugoslavs - one eighth of the whole respondents came from minority number of Serbs in Croatia was around population - who are unable to accept groups in their communities. Some 86 600,000 according to the 1991 census, ethnic citizenship in place of their percent of them had ethnic origins that this means that one-third of the total Yugoslav citizenship, either because differed from those of their neighbours, Serbian population of Croatia is in they come from mixed marriages or while 96 percent had established exile. This underestimates the actual because they have lived in different friendships and 66 percent had family number, however, because it takes into parts of Yugoslavia and have relations with members of other ethnic account only the official UNHCR established close ties with people groups. Fully 60 percent denied the figures. One would also have to include throughout the country.1° No solution existence of national divisions or of deserters from the military and is foreseen for these "leftover national intolerance in their paramilitary forces, refugees abroad Yugoslavs," no one represents them in communities and 77 percent had not and missing persons in order to arrive peace talks, there is no one to guarantee had personal conflicts with members at a total figure. In any case, these huge their human rights, which are of other ethnic groups. Only 5.5 percent numbers highlight the grotesqueness constantly violated or under threat. gave evidence of a continuous of the Yugoslav army and Serbian Their situation brings to mind Hannah atmosphere of ethnic division and government assertion that "the Federal Arendt's statement that "one glance at intolerance. Only 1.2 percent were able Army's intervention was meant to the demographic map of Europe to give evidence of personal conflicts 'protect' the civilian population of should be sufficient to show that the with members of other ethnic groups Croatia." In reality, the military nation-state principle cannot be and a mere 0.8 percent were able to give intervention served only the purposes introduced into Eastern Europe."" In evidence of collective forms of such of Tudjman and Milosevic: it separated Yugoslavia, multi-ethnicity was a way conflict. The situation described by ethnic populations, especially where of life. As one of the first expressions of these data started changing during the they were geographically and socially their sovereignty, the nation- states that first free multiparty election campaign mixed and "purified" the newly- have emerged in its place have in Croatia in 1991. Relations with created ethnic states. denaturalized people, stripping them friends, neighbours and even family Since people did not live in of their citizenship: people born in relations deteriorated. isolated, ethnically pure enclaves, the Slovenia and Croatia have to apply and When asked about the reasons for situation has been a disaster, in provide proof of their blood origin. their flight, most respondents replied

Refuge, Vol. 11, No. 4 (May 1992) 5 "fear." People who left their homes as friends and relatives. The rest are in Federal Army by crossing the borders. early as the spring of 1991 more collective shelters. A $24 million aid In Serbia some 10,000 cases of desertion frequently mentioned direct attacks package provided by UNHCR, or of failure to respond to mobilization and ill treatment in general than those UNICEF and the World Health are being prosecuted.17 In most cases, who left later. People who fled later Organization (WHO) targets 500,000 resistance to the war among recruits has expressed a more general fear for life as Yugoslavs displaced in their own been passive and silent, but there have the war spread and indiscriminate country by war and covers primarily also been cases involving the mass artillery attacks escalated in food parcels, medical help, drugs and desertion of several hundreds or frequency.12 logistic^.'^ Nonetheless, receiving thousands of recruits, of public Return? families are decreasingly able to demonstrations and of spectacular acts Most of the refugees who took part in shoulder the rest of the burden, in like that of a soldier who drove his the survey - 61.3 percent - expressed particular in poorer parts of the country armoured car from the Slavonian front to the desire to return home. Only 9.4 such as Bosnia and Herzegovina.14 The the centre of Belgrade and parked it in new Serbian law on refugees in front of the Serbian Parliament. percent said they would not return and 29.5 percent did not know. The greatest contributes to their insecurity: Although in principle deserters risk the readiness to go home was shown by according to its article 18, refugees can death penalty, so far only a few soldiers peasants, who also had the fewest be stripped of their status and sent back have been punished by the military.l8 escape options and were the first "when the situation changes." This As early as August 1991 pacifists in Belgrade publicly called for men to victims of criminal attacks and means that the Serbian government, massacres by troops. which conducted an undeclared war in refuse mobilization and for soldiers to The UNHCR is presently order to "protect the Serbian desert. Their statements ran counter to preparing a detailed plan for the population outside Serbian borders," official war propaganda and to repatriation of refugees to areas which could decide to repatriate Serbs in the traditional warrior attitudes which are will be under the control of the UN same way as Switzerland,claiming that even now represented in public protection forces (UNPROFOR) and there is no longer any danger to life in opinion and among parliamentarians: there were even proposals in the which are now occupied by the Federal their areas of origin.15 Army and SerbianForces. It is assumed Deserters Serbian parliament for a bill that would forbid return to all those who left the that the returning population will be In October 1991, M. Milenkovic, a country because of the war. This the same as the population that fled. Yugoslav soldier from Serbia, However, in many cases refugees committed suicide. He could not proposal did not win the necessary either do not have anywhere to return choose between becoming a "traitor" majority and was defeated. However, parliament also rejected the to because their houses have been by abandoning the front line and destroyed or they still do not know killing his compatriots.16 In Serbia he counterproposal: an amnesty bill that would guarantee safe return and no what shape their houses are in. Many became the symbol of the growing sanctions against deserters.lg have lost their families and need resistance to the war among potential support to find new meaning in life. In draftees and civilians in general. Concluslon addition, most refugees still fear for Strong anti-war feelings were The "return of nations" in Eastern and their safety if they return. The official widespread even before the beginning Central Europe, the creation of new and unofficial messages from their of hostilities. According to one survey ethnically homogeneous nation-states, regions are crystal clear: refugees can conducted 25-29 July 1991, only a small demands a very high price for its expect to be arbitrarily branded as minority of people in most major cities realization. Can the Yugoslav tragedy traitors or war criminals, to be victims claimed that war was "the best means serve as a sufficient warning to others? of revenge by the extremist gangs and of preserving state or national Nationalism, the credo of the power paramilitary formations which nobody honour." Only 1 percent of elites in former Yugoslavia - the has so far been eager to take to court for respondents in Ljubljana, 4 percent in "supreme stage of " as war crimes. It is therefore unlikely that Belgrade and 10 percent in Adam Michnik mockingly called it - has the protection of basic human rights thought that people should volunteer transformed into victims precisely those would be better guaranteed in the for the army if the local governments in whose name and for whose "benefit" regions under UNPROFRO decided to start a war. the war has allegedly been fought: the supervision. This situation prevents By theend of 1991 it wasestimated civilian population. Thousands have easy repatriation. that around 100,000 young men had died, thousands more have become On the other hand, refugees are fled to Western Europe in order to invalids, hundreds of thousands are also under increasing pressure in the avoid being drafted by the Croatian refugees in what used to be their own places where they have found National Guard and that about 150,000 country. That is the tragic legacy of the temporary shelter. Over 80 percent of escaped mobilization by the Yugoslav latest war in the Balkans. s all refugees are being taken care of by (Footnotes on page 8)

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