Inequality and Politics of Return in the post-Yugoslav Republics

In this paper I explore and compare the post-Yugoslav states’ politics to promote or deter the right of citizens residing abroad to return to their home countries. For various reasons, external citizens rarely want to exercise this right. Three different return politics can be detected in this region: the return of refugees and internally displaced persons in the aftermath of humanitarian emergencies, the return of highly qualified diaspora, i.e. scientific diaspora, upon political changes, and the return of the abject class of migrants - rejected asylum seekers, irregular migrants, convicted criminals, i.e. the so-called deportspora, as a result of readmission aggreements concluded with the EU in exchange for visa liberalisation.

The paper aims to assess which types of return were promoted, and how these differences between countries and their programmes, if found, affect the concept, practice, and evaluation of citizenship. I argue that, although various return politics affect post-Yugoslav citizenship regimes in different manners, these politics of return can be charged with promotion of some forms of citizenship inequality, prefering certain type of citizens over the others, hence providing stronger incentives for return to those who are preferable. Inequality is often among reasons for citizens to emigrate or seek asylum, and these migrants will be in unequal and unfavourable position compared to citizens of their destination countries, even upon migration. Return politics indicate existance of the third cycle of unequality.