Ingush migration authorities artificially reduce number of Chechen refugees
in Ingushetia
Timur Aliyev, North Caucasus – The migration authorities of Ingushetia artificially
lower the number of Chechen refugees registered in the republic, says Minkail
Ezhiyev, coordinator of the Moscow Helsinki Group for Ingushetia.
According to Ezhiyev the Migration Service of Ingushetia deleted from its records
nearly two thousand forced migrants who are still staying in the territory
of the republic. The human rights activist presumes the migration authorities
similarly strive to increase the figure of refugees who have returned to Chechnya.
“We wanted to obtain humanitarian aid from the Danish Refugee Council but
we were turned down, because according to the aid workers none of us were
on their lists,” says Zalla Bekbulatova, who lives in the Logovaz refugee
camp. “When we started to explain the issue at the migration office, we
were told we were not listed in their database either.”
“When a person leaves a camp and travels out of Ingushetia to Chechnya or
elsewhere, it is sufficient for them to delete all his family members from
their records as well,” says Ezhiyev. “Even if only a single person
moves out while seven others remain,” he adds.
“Deletion of people from humanitarian assistance lists happened already
in the past,” Ezhiyev explains. “During the December visit of Pamfilova’s
delegation to Ingushetia we even gave her a list of similar cases. But it is only
now that the practice has taken on such mass proportions,” claims Ezhiyev.
According to data provided by human rights organisations, out of the 750 people
registered at the MTF–Yandar camp near Karabulak 380 have been deleted,
and at the Logovaz camp in Nazran nearly 700 have been deleted.
Director of the Migration Service of Ingushetia Magomed Latyrov refused to meet
a delegation of human rights activists, who had come to discuss the issue, referring
to his busy schedule.