Program of the Return of Refugees and Displaced Persons to Eastern Bosnia
(source: Ministry of Social Affairs, Displaced Persons and Refugees of B&H)

(table #1: National structure of residents in the municipalities of Eastern Bosnia, according to the census 1991)

(table #2: National structure of residents in the municipalities of Eastern Bosnia according to the statistics 2000)

(map- Accomplished return of Bosniac- Muslims in Eastern Bosnia- source: Ministry of Social Affairs, Displaced Persons and Refugees, August, 2000)

(map- Possible return of Bosniac-Muslims in Eastern Bosnia- source: Ministry of Social Affairs, Displaced Persons and Refugees, August 2000)

According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, Displaced Persons and Refugees of B&H, over 60% of the pre-war population in Bosnia and Herzegovina left their homes due to the war hostilities, recognized by the UN as an aggression (UN Security Council (link UN – Resolutions) Resolution # 757, from May 30,1992) and ethnic cleansing.
More than 1.250.000 persons have found either temporary or permanent accommodation in over 100 countries all over the world. At the same time, there have been more than 400.000 displaced persons within the territory of B&H.
Out of 1.250.000 housing units, about 452.000 were completely or partially destroyed.
Assisted by the International Community which has provided an important support for the return of refugees and displaced persons in accordance with Annex 7 of the Dayton Peace Agreement, 101.000 housing units have been already reconstructed. Out of this total, 82.000 housing units correspond to the territory of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 19.000 to Republika Srpska.
After a long time of hesitance of the authorities of the Republika Srpska to allow the non-Serb population to return to their places of origin, a convenient political climate has been achieved and both Bosniacs- Muslims and Croats, who were expelled from their homes, finally, five years after the war, have a chance to rebuild their lives on their homeland.

According to the study done by the Ministry of Social Affairs, Displaced Persons and Refugees of B&H and Ministry of Physical Planning and Environment of B&H, the basic needs for the return which would provide the normal life conditions are:
- Demining as the first prerequisite for the safe return, especially in the areas of separation and war actions
- Reconstruction of the housing fund as a basic need of returnees
- Reconstruction of the educational institutions
- Reconstruction of the healthcare institutions
- Reconstruction of the sacral places (mosques)
- Employment as a condition for a normal and sustainable life
- Reconstruction of the infrastructure (water supplying, electricity, roads, bridges, etc.)

The Plan of the Return to the Bosnia-Herzegovina’s entity of the Republika Srpska has foreseen to return as many as 331.244 displaced persons and refugees.
To provide the conditions, it would be necessary to:

The Plan of the Return to Eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina
One of the most important issues is the return to those areas which had had the Bosniac-Muslim majority population in the pre-war period (Eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina).
This is extremely important in order to reestablish the pre-war national structure and to reintegrate the State as whole.
This Plan includes regions of Bijeljina, Vlasenica, Visegrad and Trebinje.
The estimation of about 7.115 returnees require some 2.210 housing unites to be reconstructed.
The budget estimations are as follows: