§ Mr. MaplesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what data he has collated on the expulsion of non-Serbian inhabitants from the Sanjak region; and if he will make a statement. [91232]
§ Mr. Tony LloydAlthough we do not keep extensive data, our Embassy in Sarajevo noted reports that by May of this year, almost 16,000 refugees from the Sanjak had arrived in Sarajevo. Other reports suggest that the FRY authorities used emergency powers to intimidate non-Serbs into leaving the region for Bosnia, and have made the possibility of their return very difficult.
We support the right of return for all displaced persons in the region regardless of their ethnic background.