Summary of Refugee Camp Surveys
Background information
In the reported research period five Refugee Camps in Hungary were
investigated: Nagyatád, Békéscsaba, Vése, Baja, Bicske, and selected data
of the refugees has had been gathered. However, that would be a better
interpretation to talking about only two main camps, because, Nagyatád and
Békéscsaba were the center of the mentioned refugee camps. The other two
camps, Baja and Bicske, were the supplementary camps of this two center, it
means, the all administration and any other official activity were managed in
this two center. Thus, in the further part of this paper, only the two center
camp, and its data, will be named. There is an other camp with a special
status, Vése. Therefore, Vése was not a formal refugee camp, as opposed to
previous camps, „only" a place where a lots of refugees came together
for a longer period.
Activities
Surveys of the sociological and epidemological data bases of five major
refugee camps, were accomplished in this study year, from July to September
’98. These are:
Creation of the data base of rescue camp in Vése Rescue center the total
number of records over 2000s since 1991 (still information)
Creation of data base of Békéscsaba Rescue center with over 2700
records
Creation of data base of Nagyatád Rescue center with over 8500 records
Creation of data base of other Rescue centers in Southern Hungary (Baja,
Bicske.)
This activities were mostly concentrated on completing the full data base
on the Hungarian refugee families from Croatia during the warfare, in
comparing their demographic, family, morbidity and other attributes during
their stay with other ethnic groups arriving from other parts of former
Yugoslavia.
Main results
In this partial summary of the whole research program concentrates on the
exploration of the main characteristics of arrival and leaving trends of
refugees with different nationalities. The data of the following tables will
demonstrate the main trends of this issue. Table 8. shows the number of
arrivals of Nagyatád and Békéscsaba Refugee Camps between 1991 and 1996
according to nationality.
Table 8.
The number of arrivals according to nationality
1991-1996
|
Nationality |
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
| |
B* |
N** |
B* |
N** |
B* |
N** |
B* |
N** |
B* |
N** |
B* |
N** |
|
Hungarians |
84 |
444 |
46 |
185 |
281 |
49 |
90 |
15 |
28 |
5 |
15 |
- |
|
Croatians |
82 |
1225 |
5 |
225 |
20 |
65 |
27 |
51 |
52 |
7 |
- |
- |
|
Gypsies |
- |
- |
- |
41 |
2 |
23 |
- |
81 |
8 |
9 |
- |
- |
|
Bosnians |
- |
71 |
357 |
3782 |
14 |
950 |
6 |
611 |
360 |
49 |
34 |
- |
|
Serbians |
15 |
- |
8 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
Note:*Data of Békéscsaba
Refugee Camp
** Data of Nagyatád Refugee Camp
Into the Békéscsaba camp the Bosnians, in two different wave (’92 and
’95), and the Hungarians (’93) arrived in the largest number. The other
members of the nationalities continuously and uniformly arrived.
Into the Nagyatád camp in 1991 the Croatians and the Hungarians arrived in
the largest number, and in 1992 the Bosnians. After this waves continuously
decreased the arrival of refugees of each nationality. Consequently, the most
of the Hungarians arrived in 1991, Croatians also in 1991, and the Bosnians in
1992.
The Table 9. shows the number of arrivals according to the war exposure
measurement of their last residence.
Table 9.
The number of arrivals according to the war exposure measurement
1991-1996
|
Nationality |
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
| |
H* |
L** |
H* |
L** |
H* |
L** |
H* |
L** |
H* |
L** |
H* |
L** |
|
Hungarians |
21 |
507 |
3 |
228 |
4 |
326 |
2 |
103 |
- |
33 |
- |
15 |
|
Croatians |
369 |
938 |
126 |
134 |
32 |
53 |
22 |
56 |
7 |
52 |
- |
- |
|
Gypsies |
1 |
- |
4 |
37 |
2 |
23 |
17 |
64 |
1 |
16 |
- |
- |
|
Bosnians |
38 |
33 |
2114 |
2025 |
500 |
464 |
292 |
325 |
35 |
374 |
3 |
31 |
|
Serbians |
- |
15 |
- |
8 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
Note:* Number of refugees from High Exposure areas
** Number of refugees from
Low Exposure areas
The member of all nationalities, in every year, arrived mostly from the low
exposure areas. It means, than the opportunity to participate in the war was
more „terrify" than the effective war. That can be supposed, than who
have been in the war, made less effort to escape (or they have less
opportunity to escape), than others who have had been closed out from the
reality of war.
The Table 10. contains the data concerning to how long time was
spent in the refugee camps by the refugees according to the year of arrival
and nationality. This kind of data base shows the situation of the Nagyatád
camp only, because from the data base of the other camp this information are
missing.
Table 10.
Staying period of refugees in Nagyatád Camp according to year of arrival
and nationality
| |
Nationality |
Period of staying (year) |
| |
|
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| |
Hungarians |
1 |
23 |
28 |
8 |
|
1991 |
Croatians |
17 |
456 |
411 |
150 |
| |
Gypsies |
1 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
| |
Bosnians |
2 |
23 |
17 |
12 |
| |
Serbians |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| |
Nationality |
Period of staying (year) |
| |
|
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| |
Hungarians |
19 |
14 |
8 |
- |
|
1992 |
Croatians |
90 |
86 |
42 |
3 |
| |
Gypsies |
16 |
18 |
2 |
- |
| |
Bosnians |
1473 |
1199 |
489 |
69 |
| |
Serbians |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| |
Nationality |
Period of staying (year) |
| |
|
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| |
Hungarians |
17 |
2 |
23 |
- |
|
1993 |
Croatians |
21 |
3 |
26 |
- |
| |
Gypsies |
8 |
109 |
10 |
- |
| |
Bosnians |
323 |
5 |
383 |
- |
| |
Serbians |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| |
Nationality |
Period of staying (year) |
| |
|
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| |
Hungarians |
2 |
11 |
- |
- |
|
1994 |
Croatians |
6 |
33 |
- |
- |
| |
Gypsies |
11 |
57 |
- |
- |
| |
Bosnians |
77 |
433 |
- |
- |
| |
Serbians |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| |
Nationality |
Period of staying (year) |
| |
|
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| |
Hungarians |
5 |
- |
- |
- |
|
1995 |
Croatians |
5 |
- |
- |
- |
| |
Gypsies |
6 |
- |
- |
- |
| |
Bosnians |
43 |
- |
- |
- |
| |
Serbians |
- |
- |
- |
- |
The information of the tables above can be considered like the model of the
fluctuation behavior of refugees, because, the Nagyatád camp was the largest
camp with the largest refugee population. The main result of the analysis, the
Bosnian refugees spent the longest time in the camp, and contrary to all
expectations, the Hungarian refugees spent the shortest time. In particularly,
that refugees spent longer time in the camp, who arrived at the first or
middle period of the war-time.
Further activities for the second study year
Completion of in-depth statistical analyses of surveyed data gathering from
household interviews with selected samples of Hungarian minority families from
Croatia. (Qualitative interviews with ca. 30 families).
Elaboration of data bases from rescue camps from Hungary (over 30000
records for two estimates the survival statistics of Hungarian refugees in
these camps, as compare to other ethnic groups of refugees from the
territories of former Yugoslavia.
Preparation work for action research in selected settlements in Croatia,
with the revitalization of the Hungarian historic and cultural resources in
these regions.
Financial Report
The financial reporting of the applicant institution (HMTMT) to be attached
to this document.
Pécs, January 12 1999.
Appendix: A, B, C
