Return migration in Bosnia and Herzegovina

This thesis titled "Return Migration in Bosnia and Herzegovina" which studies the return of the Bosnian refugee who left their country in wartime after the Dayton Peace Agreement signed by the parties and ended the Bosnian War between 1992-1995, aims to analyse the impact of national and international policy-making on the patterns of refugee return in Bosnia and Herzegovina and examine the problems of making imposed returns sustainable in the long term. The study was structured in three sections. In the first section the conceptual framework of return migration was described and the theoretical aspect was evaluated in terms of theoretical approaches to return migration. In the second section the Bosnian War briefly was described, Dayton Peace Agreement that ended war, was explained with the problematic sections on the structure it established in Bosnia as well as the section of the Bosnian refugees' rights of return to home. In the last section the return migration in Bosnia and Herzegovina was examined in detail. The factors that affecting the refugees' return decides to their countries, the problems of the returnees in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the national and international activities intended for solving these problems were mentioned. The studies of local authorities and the international community on this subject were explained and return migration with numbers over the years was examined. Qualitative analysis methods were used in the study, however in cases when the populations of returnees to Bosnia and Herzegovina were of concern, quantitative data was used. The number of Bosnian that returning to Bosnia and Herzegovina was experienced fluctuations over the years. Return migration was influenced by processes both within and outside the country. At present, it is seen that most of the Bosnians who left country in the wartime returned. However, there are still problems need to be solved about the return migration, especially the problems of the returnees in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In order to solve these problems, the parties should find a common denominator. As a result, all local and international actors should decide and act together in the problems related to return migration in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this way, this attitude will contribute to the solution of problems in the return migration process in Bosnia and Herzegovina and it will be an example for similar cases.