Sustainable Return Migratıon in Bosnia and Herzegovina: The Case of Srebrenica

Abstract

During the Bosnian War between 1992 and 1995, at least 1.2 million Bosnian-Herzegovinian citizens were displaced. The Dayton Agreement, which officially ended the war, was signed on 14^th December 1995, and the return of displaced people during the war has become one of the most important problems that Bosnia-Herzegovina must solve. This article examines the developments regarding return migration in Bosnia-Herzegovina from the Bosnian War to the present, the role of the international community in this process, the types of return migration, and the characteristics of return migration to Srebrenica as an important area of ​​return migration. The article is a literature review that evaluates sources on the right to return and the sustainability of return migration. According to the results, return migration in Bosnia and Herzegovina occurred in two ways: majority and minority returns. While majority returns occurred without any problems, the sustainability of minority returns could not be achieved despite all international efforts. The Bosnians of Srebrenica, who were victims of the Srebrenica Genocide (1995), one of the largest genocides in European history during the Bosnian War, are one of the most important examples reflecting the failure of minority returns in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Keywords: Bosnia and Herzegovina, return migration, Bosnian war, minority return, Srebrenica.