Migracijske i etničke teme (Dec 2002)
Ethnic Migrations in Vojvodina in the Second Half of the 20th Century
Abstract
Population migrations are a significant social phenomen which undoubtedly left a mark on the last decade of the 20th century. Political changes in the 90’s made migrations even more relevant from a demographic, economic and legal aspect, taking into consideration not only their scope, but also the new specific forms of migration movements that arose (voluntary and forced migrations, ethnocentric migrations, refugees, displaced persons, etc.) along with their reasons and consequences. The violent disintegration of Yugoslavia and the subsequent creation of new ethnonational states and bouts of ethnic cleansing had as a consequence enormous population movements, as well as the creation of considerable number of refugees gravitating towards their mother countries. The large refugee wave which took refuge in Vojvodina exceeds, by its number, even the large colonization of this province after World War II. Apart from refugees, internally displaced persons of non-Albanian nationality, who immigrated from Kosovo and Metohija due to political reasons, are found in Vojvodina. Placed together, all this represents a significant problem, especially given the grave economic situation which the country is experiencing. Ethnocentric migrations (both voluntary and forced) were the driving force behind the change of the country’s ethnic structure in terms of creating more nationally homogeneous regions, not only with regard to the national structure of the refugee-population, but also taking into account the emigration of other nationalities as well (Hungarians and Croats) who migrated to their mother countries for political and economic reasons. Bearing in mind that Vojvodina is a multiethnic and multiconfessional region, the question of minorities and interethnic relations are unquestionably of great significance for the stability and demographic development of this region.
