CHECHNYA LINKS LIBRARY

78 European organizations oppose the return of Chechen asylum seekers

Tuesday, 14 June 2005

•Grave human rights abuses continue with almost impunity in Chechnya.
•Chechens who seek refuge in other parts of the Russian Federation are not granted the protection they are entitled to under international standards.
•Returns of Chechen asylum seekers cannot happen in safety and dignity at the present time.

These are some of the main conclusions in a new report on protection of Chechen internally displaced persons (IDPs), asylum seekers and refugees.

The report is produced by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) with the support of the ECRE-network (European Council for Refugees and Exiles) which represent 80 non-governmental organizations in 30 European countries. ECRE stands behind this position, strongly warning against forced or mandatory return of Chechen asylum seekers to the Russian Federation in a set of guidelines on the treatment of Chechens published today.

On a number of important issues, the Russian authorities have failed to secure implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement:

•Chechen IDPs are not granted status as forced migrants.
•They are often denied residence registration and identification documents needed in order to access basis rights in the Russian Federation.
•They are victims of discrimination and harassment both by private and state actors, and have not been effectively protected against forced returns to Chechnya.

“European states should not consider there to be a viable internal protection alternative for ethnic Chechens in the Russian Federation”, says Raymond Johansen, Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council. “We fear that if returned to the Russian Federation, many will find it impossible to settle in safe regions, and will end up in unsafe conditions in Chechnya.”

Pressure on Chechen IDPs increased in late 2002, and since 2003 asylum seekers from the Russian Federation, most of whom are considered to be Chechens, have been one of the biggest groups of asylum seekers to European countries.

The situation in Europe

The report reveals that Chechens seeking refuge abroad are facing many obstacles. For example, their very basic right to seek asylum is not always respected:

•In Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Belarus, Chechens are denied access to the national asylum procedure. Many stay there without any legal rights and almost no humanitarian assistance.
•Chechens are sometimes denied access to the territory of other states. This happens routinely at the border with Ukraine.
•EU member states have a widely differing approach to Chechen asylum seekers. Refugee recognition rates vary dramatically within the EU, and the outcome of “the asylum lottery” depends on the country in which the claim has been processed. During the first six months of 2004, the Slovak Republic did not grant asylum to a single person from Russia, while Austria’s refugee recognition rate for this group was 96 %.

The report raises concern that the system of asylum and integration in new EU states receiving many Chechen asylum seekers, are not up to European standards. It appeals to “old” EU states to support “new” EU states in providing protection to Chechen asylum seekers. In a recommendation to European states, the Norwegian Refugee Council states that “old” EU states should use the powers they have under the Dublin regulation to examine claims from Chechen asylum seekers lodged on their territory, even if they believe a new member state to be responsible under the Regulations’s criteria.

The report was released in Moscow on June 14.

Click here to download the full report in PDF format (1.02 MB) from NRC's website.

More information:

NRC Press Officer: Roald Høvring, + 47 90 75 74 86
Memorial Press Officer: Grigoriy Kotok + 7 095 24 30335, + 7 906 095 39 30

Source: Norwegian Refugee Council

(T)