▁the ▁world , ▁although ▁some ▁sources ▁put ▁that ▁figure ▁as ▁high ▁as ▁ 4 ▁million . ▁The ▁existence ▁of ▁a ▁large ▁di as por a ▁is ▁mainly ▁a ▁consequence ▁of ▁either ▁economic ▁or ▁political ▁( co erc ion ▁or ▁exp uls ions ) ▁reasons . ▁There ▁were ▁several ▁waves ▁of ▁Ser b ▁em igration : ▁▁ ▁The ▁first ▁wave ▁took ▁place ▁since ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁and ▁last ed ▁until ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁and ▁was ▁caused ▁by ▁economic ▁reasons ; ▁particularly ▁large ▁numbers ▁of ▁Ser bs ▁( main ly ▁from ▁peri pher al ▁eth nic ▁areas ▁such ▁as ▁Herz egov ina , ▁Mont en eg ro , ▁Dal mat ia , ▁and ▁L ika ) ▁em igr ated ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁The ▁second ▁wave ▁took ▁place ▁after ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁At ▁this ▁time , ▁members ▁of ▁royal ist ▁Ch et nik s ▁and ▁other ▁political ▁oppon ents ▁of ▁commun ist ▁regime ▁fled ▁the ▁country ▁mainly ▁going ▁over se as ▁( Un ited ▁States ▁and ▁Australia ) ▁and , ▁to ▁a ▁less er ▁degree , ▁United ▁Kingdom . ▁ ▁The ▁third ▁wave , ▁and ▁by ▁far ▁the ▁largest ▁wave , ▁was ▁economic ▁em igration ▁started ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁when ▁several ▁Western ▁European ▁countries ▁signed ▁bil ater al ▁agre ements ▁with ▁Y ug oslav ia ▁allowing ▁the ▁rec ruit ment ▁of ▁industrial ▁workers ▁to ▁those ▁countries , ▁and ▁last ed ▁until ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9