A Bosnian who escaped from Banja Luka in 1992, now serves as mayor of the Swedish town of Borgholm. Speaking to N1, Ilko Corkovic described his path from a refugee to the mayor of a town of 10,000 residents and a € 60 million budget.

Upon his arrival in Sweden, Corkovic cleaned hallways and bathrooms, cut grass in public areas and then graduated college in this country. After finding a job in the Swedish Tax Administration, he became a member of the local Social Democratic Party, later to be elected mayor of Bornholm.

He said he felt relief when he left Banja Luka, but at the same time, he was worried about the rest of his family who remained in Bosnia during the war (1992-1995). One of the greatest obstacles to his integration into the Swedish society was the language which he did not know, but Swedes helped him and his family integrate the best they could.

Asked why he decided to deal with politics, he told N1 that he was “always interested in social issues, but his goal was never to become a mayor. In 2010 the Party recognised my qualities and listed me as the candidate for mayor.”

As he ages, Corkovic said he is becoming ever more nostalgic of Banja Luka.

“Many things connect me to Banja Luka and Bosnia and Herzegovina. My father was a mason there, and I often say that everyone in Banja Luka died but my father remained alive because he built so many homes there,” Corkovic said for N1.

In the end, he recalled that Bosnian migrants are some of the best-integrated migrants in Sweden.