I know 2 lovely families that have lived here in DR for many years, now they are fed up but dont know how they can leave. They have passports that were from their home country of Yugoslavia, but this country no longer exists and they dont know how to get passports as they are now in effect stateless, does anyone know how or what they can do?
- Thread starter Ladybird
- Start date
Two families without a country
What I remember from school, there never was a Yugoslavian state, but a loose confederation of nations which were held together by the influence and direct intervention of the USSR during the Cold War, and the iron rule of Josef Broz Tito. Later, with the fall of the USSR, the federation came apart, and the constituent nations each sought their own independence, among them Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia and what I intially thought was a Russian ballet dancer, by the name of Bosnia Herzegovina ;-). I'm sure the local office of the United Nations could help your friends sort out their current nationality status.
New states
The present-day countries created from the former parts of Yugoslavia are:
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Croatia
* Montenegro
* Republic of Macedonia
* Serbia
* Slovenia
If they were born in the former Yugoslavia they must of been born in one of these present-day countries. They are not stateless.
The present-day countries created from the former parts of Yugoslavia are:
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Croatia
* Montenegro
* Republic of Macedonia
* Serbia
* Slovenia
If they were born in the former Yugoslavia they must of been born in one of these present-day countries. They are not stateless.
Where are the Embassies/Consulates for these new countries they can contact here to obtain their passports
Others may know more but you can start with the American or British embassies, I am sure they can guide them.
Yes thank you I know that Immigration in the UK will help them once they get there but the problem is trying to get them legal docs to leave the DR. This is a good idea from you, though I think countries from the EU would be more likely to assist than the American Embassy. I was hoping there might be someone reading this that had similar problems that could advise. They are such sweet people
These people have to figure out which country they 'belong' to now, contact either the UN or their country of origin offices and start the process of paperwork. It is not rocket science ... it is however a humanitarian disaster. There are many others in the same position.
Do a few internet searches. There are forums dedicated to paperwork issues from people of the former USSR 'States'. The British Embassy, the US embassy will not be of much help. And you need to speak the language(s) to get to the right forums.
Do a few internet searches. There are forums dedicated to paperwork issues from people of the former USSR 'States'. The British Embassy, the US embassy will not be of much help. And you need to speak the language(s) to get to the right forums.
There's quite a bit in English e.g. Article 29 of Bosnian Law on Citizenship
Citizens VII
Frankly if I was them I'd go to the Orthodox Church in Puerto Plata & speak to the patriarch. It used to be the place where all the visiting Yugoslavs met up with expat Slavs. Somewhere among their own nationality the info will exist.
Citizens VII
Frankly if I was them I'd go to the Orthodox Church in Puerto Plata & speak to the patriarch. It used to be the place where all the visiting Yugoslavs met up with expat Slavs. Somewhere among their own nationality the info will exist.
Barbara,
May I suggest you cool your impatience with others wanting & entitled to post here! A little humour brightens up the day & what this poster wrote was in NO way disrespectful.
Now, come down off the ceiling & READ what A.Hildalgo SAID (wrote). If the couple contact the British & American Embassies HERE IN THE DR, they (the Enbassy staffs) will doubtless have the ability to find/pass on details of the Embassies in the DR that could well be the appropriate ones for the couple! I don't think A.Hildalgo was suggesting the couple went to England to visit the Immigration people there!! I have just re-checked & I see he DIDN'T even mention immigration offices in the UK! If I have misinterpreted what you wrote A.H. please accept my apologies & correct me!
Have you checked in Paginas Amarillo under Embajadas or Consulados? Give Mendes a cal & see if he can help. Have a calm word with Bill Kirkman's office & see if he (or his secretary) can give you the help you require. ~ Grahame.
During the bloody war for independence from Serbia who was the leading country of Yugoslavia, many of the relatively new independent countries suffered much. In the last 10 years or so Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Republic of Macedonia Croatia, and Slovenia have recuperated quiet well politically and economically. One of them Bosnia and Herzegovina has one of the highest income equality rankings in the world, ranking 8th out 193 nations. These countries are in the eastern part of Europe and in the coming years will join the European union. The families that the OP talks about will be going back to countries that are considered second or first world.
Your interpretation is correct. British or American embassies in the island paradise.:cheeky:
Slight correction. The country formerly known as Yugoslavia and now 6 separate countries was not a former USSR 'States". It had good relations with the USSR but was not part of it.:cheeky:
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I was teaching English to foreign students in England in summer 1991. One day one of the students, who had started the course as a Yugoslav, said "today I have different country" - Yugoslavia had broken up and he was a Croat.
I suppose it gets complicated for people who were born in one state but are ethnically from one of the others - which very generally was what that terrible civil war was all about.
I suppose it gets complicated for people who were born in one state but are ethnically from one of the others - which very generally was what that terrible civil war was all about.
Can't they do what was done in India? Pakistan and Bangladesh were once a part of India (not long ago given that India became independent in the 1940s). However, the differences in religion (one muslim and the other hindu) caused tensions to the point that Pakistan gain its independence and pretty much Indians who were muslim moved to Pakistan and Indians who were hindu but living in the newly created Pakistan moved to India.
Later on Bangladesh gain its independence from Pakistan, the reasons I don't know. Perhaps AZB knows more about this.
However, my point is that perhaps people from the balkans who were born in one modern country but are ethnically closer to those of another might have little obstacles in being accepted by those who are ethnically closer to such person.
Oh well... one thing is certain and its that Croatia is doing very well with a boom in its economy, primarily in tourism.
-NALs
Thats why I put little ''''' marks around it .. As I knew my expression was not correct ..
What, kill several hundred thousand people? They did their best.:ermm:
The war happened precisely for this reason. The term "ethnic cleansing" was coined during the Balkan conflict.
In the case of my student, it was straightforward - he was an ethnic Croat from Croatia. Maybe the OP's friends' cases are not so clear-cut.
Over 200,000 lives were lost in the conflict an Europe saw some of the worst atrocities since WW2.
Maybe Ladybird can give us more info on these families. How long they been here and what was the straw that broke the camel's back that made them want to say goodbye to the Dominican Republic.