CHECHNYA LINKS LIBRARY

Chechen and Ingush authorities decided to return refugees by the end of the year

Ruslan Isayev, North Caucasus - Refugee camps in Ingushetia have to be closed down by the end of the year. This decision was made in the capital of Ingushetia - Magas on Tuesday during the meeting between the representatives of the Chechen and Ingush governments in the presence of Aleksander Korobeinikov, the deputy to the envoy of the President of Russian Federation in the Southern Federal District.

Besides, all Chechen refugees living in the territory of Ingushetia will be returned to their homeland by the same deadline. The participants in the meeting specified the role of each of the sides in this massive return of the people. The Chechen side will be preparing the places for the settlement of the coming people and the Ingush side will take the responsibility for the organization of their departure.

After the meeting, Korobeinikov told a news conference that since the beginning of this year the number of refugees living in Ingushetia has decreased from 164,000 to 68,000 people and the number of those living in tent refugee camps has decreased to 18,000.

"These people have been living in the tents for the fourth year already, and what ever it may cost, we have to return them home. This is not about us wanting to do that, it is about the impossibility to stay in the cold tents one more winter," said Prime Minister of the Moscow-backed Chechen Government Stanislav Ilyasov.

When asked about the security guarantees of those returning, Ilyasov replied that according to the census one million hundred thousand people are living in Chechnya and this figure shows that the country is safe.

The refugees themselves reacted to this news in a very emotional way. It was enough for me to visit some of the camps to learn about what they think of the decision of the authorities. "Why Ilyasov did not come to us? How come we do not know that they want to return us to Chechnya? Why should be Ilyasov inviting us to our own houses? He should go to Stavropol!" These were the comments made by the refugees. They see the decision of the authorities as an attempt to return them to Chechnya by force, contrary to official allegations about a return on a voluntary basis.

(J/T)