Migration from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Croatia: Migration patterns of immigrants in Zagreb
Authors: Klempic-Bogadi Sanja , Gregurovic Margareta , Podgorelec Sonja 
Published: January 2019

The 2011 population census recorded 4,290,612 residents of Croatia among
which 584,947 or 13.7% were born abroad. Even though the most of them were
born in Bosnia and Herzegovina (70% or 409,357) no research was conducted
about this significant group of immigrants. This paper analyses the
migration flows between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia during the last
60 years, especially focusing on demographic data available from diverse
secondary sources and data on migration history and transnational activities
obtained through empirical study ?The Effects of Immigration from Bosnia and
Herzegovina on the Sociodemographic Development of Croatian Urban Areas?.
The survey was conducted in 2014 in Sesvete, district of City of Zagreb on a
judgemental/purposive sample of 301 adult Croatian residents born in Bosnia
and Herzegovina. Historical events (especially war) and economic
developments had the influence on the number of immigrants as well as their
motivation and decision to move from Bosnia and Hercegovina to Croatia. The
data obtained through secondary sources and the results of conducted survey
confirmed the shift in dominant migration patterns during three periods.
First period, after the WWII until beginning of 1990s, indicated mostly
labour migration where the migrations from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Croatia
were mostly driven by economic underdevelopment of the country of origin and
directed towards Croatian commercial and industrial centres. In the first
half of 1990s the change of socio-political system (breakup of the former
federal state) and the war in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina induced
significant forced migrations directed towards Croatia. After the end of the
war and due to the consequences of armed conflict effecting the contemporary
socioeconomic and political development of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a part of
its citizens who were temporary settled in Croatia (as labour migrants or
refugees) or elsewhere abroad, decided not to move back to Bosnia and
Herzegovina but permanently stay in or move to Croatia. This was followed by
the new period of migration driven (again) mostly by economic reasons
complemented by general social situation and advanced unfavourable
demographic processes in Bosnia and Hercegovina. These conditions stimulated
the citizens of Bosnia and Hercegovina to migrate more frequently to other,
economically more developed countries (Germany, Austria) effecting
significantly the number of immigrants from Bosnia and Herzegovina in
Croatia. The respondents included in empirical research are mostly Croats by
ethnic affiliation (93.4%) and 99% of them have Croatian citizenship. In the
highest proportion they migrated to Croatia during the 1990s. The results
showed statistically significant correlation between the area of Bosnia and
Herzegovina from where they moved to Croatia and the period of migration
(the most numerous migrations were recorded from the area of the
contemporary Republika Srpska). Three most frequent reasons of migration
were war destruction (41.5%), economic reasons (33.2%) and family reasons
(13%). Almost two thirds of respondents (63.1%) had no prior migration
experience and more than 90% plan to stay permanently in Croatia. The study
also confirmed significant social and transnational activities of
immigrants. However, these respondents cannot be considered as the ?typical
migrants? since they largely share language, culture and tradition of
receiving society which presents a favourable environment for their
legal/political, socioeconomic and sociocultural integration.