Bosniaks in Kosovo


Bosniaks are an ethnic minority group in Kosovo, numbering 27,553 according to the 2011 census. Because this census was boycotted by most Kosovo Serbs, leaving the Serb population underrepresented, Bosniaks were recorded as being the second-largest ethnic group in Kosovo, after the Kosovo Albanians.

Demographics

The 2011 census states the number of Bosniaks in Kosovo are 27,553, with around 21,000 of them living in the municipalities of Prizren and Dragaš. Bosniaks make up 1.6% of the whole population.

Bosniaks in Prizren

From Tuzla they arrived first in 1935, continuing until 1945. The reason for their arrival was to be able to immigrate to Turkey under the Yugoslavian-Turkish migration law, like other Bosniaks in Socialist Republic of Macedonia. Today they are present in 18 villages: Nebregošte, Manastirica, Ljubinje Gornjo, Ljubinje Donjo, Rečane, Lokvica, Sredska, Bogošovce, Mušnikovo, Planjane, Gornje Selo, Rlačiki, Pejciki, Drajčiči, Milačiki, Zivinjanje.

Politics

There are several Bosniak political parties in Kosovo and the oldest one is Bosniak Party of Democratic Action of Kosovo.
Bosniaks feel generally safe in Kosovo, but there are a few that experience violence targeted towards them. There have been no Bosniak returns to Kosovo. Instead, more Bosniaks are selling their homes to leave for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Western Europe.