The war in Bosnia ended eleven years ago. The bloody conflict lasted from 1992 to 1995 and cost 250,000 lives. Around 2.2 million people were driven from their houses and either fled abroad or were resettled in the country itself. About one million refugees and internally displaced persons have returned to their former home towns since the war ended. But how are these people faring at present? Up to now no data has been available about the living conditions of these people. For this reason, the SDC commissioned NADEL to ask these people about their situation. “We wanted to shed some real light on the condition of these people from their own point of view,” explains Marie-Laure Müller of NADEL.

That is why, together with Professor Rolf Kappel, the Director of NADEL, the scientist worked out the design and organisation of the study. The survey itself was carried out by the Bosnian opinion research institute “Prism Research” in a total of 1,800 households throughout the whole of Bosnia in the summer of 2005. Of these, 750 were refugees and 760 were internally displaced persons (described collectively as returnees) together with 290 people who had remained in their home towns during the war. NADEL analysed the opinion poll and presented the resulting study, “Durable returns to a durable state?”, in Bosnia in the week of 21 august 2006.

Two thirds want to remain in Bosnia

One important aspect of the survey related to the financial position of those questioned. Poverty is a big problem for many of them: it was found that 13 percent of the returnees who were interviewed have difficulty in providing enough food for their family and as many as 29 percent cannot afford any clothing or household items. The financial situation of 40 percent has worsened since the war ended, and only 20 percent of those questioned had experienced any improvement. Nevertheless, two thirds of the people want to remain in Bosnia in spite of these financial difficulties.

A large majority of the interviewees recognises Bosnia’s multi-ethnic society – the population in Bosnia consists of Muslim Bosniaks, Orthodox Serbs and Catholic Croats – and is willing to live peacefully side by side. This is consistent with the fact that nowadays 90 percent of the people feel safe from violence due to ethnic tensions.

According to a new ETH study, the return of people to Bosnia-Herzegovina has taken place successfully. The photo shows young people in front of the bridge in Mostar. (Photo: SDC)

The relationship with political and religious leaders is characterised rather more by mistrust: more than 40 percent of those questioned believe that political elections do not take place correctly; the same proportion does not believe that the media are independent. In addition, about one third feel that their freedom of speech is restricted.

The process is still incomplete

However, the authors of the study reach the overall conclusion that in Bosnia the process of returning has taken place relatively successfully to date. However, it is said that the process is still incomplete: there are still Bosnian refugees living abroad, and many people who were driven from their homes during the war are still waiting to return. There is a need for economic development and social security in Bosnia to be strengthened in order to guarantee a lasting return. The high level of unemployment is a particular obstacle. Furthermore, the Bosnian government is being called upon to take more account of discrimination against minorities and to continue pushing forward the reconciliation of the three ethnic groups. These matters remain a challenge for Bosnia and the international community.

Looking back, Marie-Laure Müller thinks that “The process of collaboration with the SDC Co-operation Office in Sarajevo and with ‘Prism Research’ has been ideal.“ However, she says that the real work is only just starting. The SDC Co-ordination Office will circulate the study to Bosnian ministries and partner organisations in the country. In the coming months they will hold joint discussions as to which findings from the study can act as input into their respective areas of work and how a sustained improvement of the returnees’ living conditions can be achieved.