With nearly half of those born in Bosnia now living elsewhere, the country may be number one in Europe when it comes to migration and this has grave social and economic consequences, professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business in Sarajevo, Anto Domazet, told N1 on Thursday.

“It may be number one in Europe, 49,5 percent of people born in Bosnia and Herzegovina are outside of the country. That creates grave economic, social and other consequences,” he said.

“It is not individuals leaving for jobs, but entire families leaving to live a life outside of Bosnia. More than 90 percent of them do not feel that they will ever come back to Bosnia,” he added.

Domazet named three main “push factors” which make people leave the country: “Number one – corruption and nepotism, second – working conditions and salaries. Third – pressure regarding the war.”

“Most of all, uncertainty when it comes to work – there are no jobs, salaries, (there is) corruption and nepotism, they feel uncertainty for themselves and their families because of constant warmongering, national confrontations, threats of war in some visions which bring unrest among the people. That is becoming a strong engine which is chasing people out of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” he elaborated.

Bosnia needs to improve quality of life for its citizens, develop strong relations with those who left the country and turn remittances into investments, he explained.