While there is no legally binding definition, ethnic cleansing can be described as the systematic and deliberate process of removing or displacing a particular ethnic, racial, or religious group from a specific geographic area. This can be done through a variety of means, including
- Deportation: Forcibly removing people from their homes and sending them to other regions or countries.
- Forced displacement: Forcing people to flee their homes through violence, intimidation, or other forms of pressure.
- Murder and atrocities: Ethnic cleansing may involve mass killings, genocide, or other serious human rights violations.
- Destruction of cultural heritage: Destroying or desecrating cultural, historical, or religious sites important to the targeted group.
- Legal and administrative measures: Implementing laws or policies that discriminate against the targeted group and make it difficult for them to remain in the area.
The goal of ethnic cleansing is often to create ethnically homogeneous territories or to gain control over desired resources or land. Most acts of ethnic cleansing are considered crimes against humanity and may constitute war crimes under international law if they are committed in the context of armed conflicts. In some cases, ethnic cleansing may be a precursor to, or a component of, genocide.
Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and the crime of aggression, ethnic cleansing is not legally codified and is not recognized as a distinct crime under international law. However, the acts of ethnic cleansing may amount to genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes.