Damir Tolj
14 December 2024
Slobodna Dalmacija
1,1 Million BiH Citizens Hold Croatian Passports, Including the Izetbegović Family
This figure occasionally surfaces in the media, and it was recently highlighted on a popular Sarajevo television channel by Željana Zovko, current Croatian Member of the European Parliament (HDZ, EPP), born in Mostar. Zovko previously served as ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Italy, Spain, and France, as permanent representative to UNESCO, and as advisor on foreign policies to the chairperson of the Council of Ministers.
The topic is intriguing:
“I’ve been talking about this for a long time, but no one shows much interest. I recently discussed it at a meeting of ambassadors in Zagreb, but unfortunately, it didn’t gain much traction “ says Zovko.
Zovko explained that the statistic dates back to the time Croatia submitted its application for EU membership:
“When Croatia submitted its application to become a member of the EU, it was recorded that 1.1 million passports were issued to citizens who simultaneously hold BiH citizenship. This means that, in addition to ethnic Croats — most of whom hold dual citizenship — Croatian travel documents have also been issued to Bosniaks, Serbs, and other citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
Years have passed since then, and Zovko doubts that anyone has since renounced this privilege. Some may have passed away, as is the natural course of life, but their children have likely acquired passports based on the fact that their parents held Croatian citizenship or that an ancestor identified as a Croat.
There were plenty of such cases. For instance, during the Second World War and the so-called Independent State of Croatia (NDH), Bosnia and Herzegovina was part of the NDH. Moreover, up until the 1970s, many individuals from what is now the Bosniak national corpus identified as Croats. At the time, they couldn’t identify as Muslims because it was considered a religious, not ethnic, category. Things changed later.”
While there is no intent to analyze anyone’s ethnic identity in detail, the disparity between the number of ethnic Croats and Croatian passport holders is stark. Prior to the war, there were about 760,000 ethnic Croats in BiH, a number now estimated to be less than half that. Yet, over a million passports have been issued.
“Where do all these 1.1 million holders of Croatian passports live today? Are they in BiH or do they live across the world? I don’t know. Another example is Sven Alkalaj, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s ambassador to the UN and former minister of foreign affairs, who obtained a Croatian passport during the time ambassadors and diplomats from the Croat constituency group were being targeted for dismissal, a process in which he was reportedly involved.”
According to Zovko, many Bosniak officials hold Croatian passports, including, notably, members of the Izetbegović family.
During the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, over 300,000 Bosniaks were accommodated in Croatia. A large majority later received citizenship and passports based on old declarations that either they or their ancestors identified as Croats. For example, in the Bihać and Cazin regions, tens of thousands of Bosniaks also hold Croatian travel documents.
Zovko emphasizes that she mentioned the passport figures as a positive fact:
“I see this data as something positive for Croatia, but only if these individuals also nurture a love for Croatia. I myself come from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and I am tolerant of everyone. I see nothing wrong with holding multiple citizenships—on the contrary—but only if these individuals respect the country whose documents they hold, do not attack its institutions, and recognize and appreciate all that Croatia is doing for Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
However, the European Parliament member fears this is not always the case. She says that Croatia experienced a significant delay in establishing a visa-free regime with the United States, precisely because of the large number of rejected applications from people in Bosnia and Herzegovina who failed to pass U.S. security screenings despite holding Croatian citizenship.
She highlights a recent example from Washington, where she was staying in her role as a MEP. In the hotel, Zovko overheard a man originally from Banja Luka saying that he managed to come to America, find employment, and live there thanks to his Croatian passport, even though he is not ethnically Croatian.
“Many of them work in European institutions—Bosniaks, Serbs, and others. Some of them act in various ways, but I call on all of them not to work against the reputation of the country whose citizenship they hold and benefit from. From Sarajevo, we often hear complaints that Croatia interferes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as if Croatia should abandon the Croats from Bosnia and Herzegovina to someone else. However, the Republic of Croatia genuinely wants Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European Union. We have an obligation to protect the 1.1 million people from Bosnia and Herzegovina who hold Croatian documents.”
She gladly cites the example of Northern Ireland, emphasizing that the vast majority of ethnic English people living there have also acquired citizenship of the Republic of Ireland. As a result, they now hold dual citizenship—British and Irish—and the European Union has an obligation to soften the border and implement all protocols, including the so-called Windsor Framework, post-Brexit:
“The same logic should be applied in Bosnia and Herzegovina, because many European citizens—through Croatian citizenship—live in Bosnia and Herzegovina or come from there. Sarajevo often speculates that there are few Croats in the country, but we do not want to discriminate against people. Anyone who says they are Croatian, or feels that way, is a Croat to me. In the end, the fact is that 1.1 million people from Bosnia and Herzegovina hold Croatian citizenship and passports. And all of this is fine, as long as they respect Croatia, and we have an obligation to protect all Croatian citizens.”
Zovko mentions the case of Slaven Kovačević, who received citizenship by declaring himself a Croat but now identifies as “other” and has turned to the court in Strasbourg, claiming his fundamental rights are being violated and that he is facing discrimination because he cannot run in elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a member of the “others”. She questions whether he has renounced his Croatian citizenship.
“This means he made a false declaration. Based on a false statement, for example, one can lose their citizenship in the US. Or take the case of the well-known actor Emir Hadžihafizbegović, who claims to be a proper and loyal citizen of Croatia, but then speaks disparagingly about the same Croatia in Sarajevo. On one hand, the Croatian passport opens the door for them for investments, business opportunities, and various lucrative ventures, while on the other hand, they speak against the interests and reputation of the country whose passport they sought, received, and now use.”
She points out that Bosnia and Herzegovina, under American pressure, revokes citizenship from individuals who have acted against country’s interests. For example, many radicals, mujahideen, and foreigners who were issued false documents.
“I don’t know if Croatia has ever conducted a review of its citizenships. That’s a question for the Ministry of the Interior, especially in such a sensitive geopolitical situation.”
“I have been around the whole world and I believe it is wrong to restrict people by imposing rigid frameworks or telling them they cannot obtain citizenship. However, I also believe there is no need to be ashamed of the fact that citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina hold 1.1 million Croatian passports. Nor should they hesitate to say so in their communities, especially if they hold various positions in Bosnia and Herzegovina while benefiting from the privileges of Croatian citizenship and passports. On the contrary, they should be proud to be citizens of an EU member state and express their appreciation for Croatia’s efforts to pull Bosnia and Herzegovina into the EU.”
At the same time, she emphasizes that many of them have properties along the Croatian coast:
“And that’s fine, but why don’t they respect the country whose passport they hold? I have called on all of them to be more vocal and to vote for Members of the European Parliament who fight for their interests.”
No one has told them not to participate in elections, especially if they want Bosnia and Herzegovina to join EU. My sole motivation is to see Bosnia and Herzegovina join the EU as soon as possible so that people can live normal lives. We also want to show everyone that Croatia is working in the interest of Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose place is in Europe, because only there can it find peace. Without that, there is nothing…