| Chechens Seek Polish Asylum En Masse, Few
Permitted Created: 13.09.2004 18:06 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 18:10 MSK, 26 minutes ago MosNews 88 Chechens attempted to enter Poland on Monday to receive asylum. The Polish authorities permitted 16 of them to enter the country, while the others had to return, the NTV television channel reported. On Saturday night, 125 Chechens tried to cross the border but only 24 were let in. 85 people currently remain in Brest, a Belarussian city near the Polish border. The Polish authorities did not explain their reasons for only letting a small part enter the country. An official at the Russian consulate in Brest was quoted by ITAR-TASS news agency as saying it is uncertain whether Poland would admit the Chechens as it is not known whether they had visas. "None of them requested visas from us," he said. Chechens are fleeing to Poland Jacek Brzuszkiewicz, Lublin 13-09-2004, last update 13-09-2004 20:44 The next group of 90 Chechens asked on Monday for a refugee status after crossing the Polish-Belorussian border. After the attack of terrorists on the school in Beslan they are afraid of lynching and repressions for the side of authorities All of them after crossing the border in Terespol have applied for the refuge status. This is the second goup of Chechen escaping to Poland from the Russian Federation. On Saturday and Sunday the border in Terespol crossed 70 persons of Chechen nationality. - All the Chechens who have applied for the refugees status, were sent to the [refugee] center in Debak near Warsaw - says lieutenat- colonel Andrzej Wojcik, spokesman for the border unit - in the same time refuting Sunday's informations of the Russian agency Interfax, which was alarming that the Poles are sending back from the border "hundreds of Chechens". Among Chechens, who in the last days applied for the refugee status in Poland are many families, often with small children. They are afraid of mob law from the side of Russians. - After Beslan we can't lived there. It's dangerous to go on the street. They threaten that they do the same with Chechen children as the terrorists - was telling in Debak a resident of Grozny's suburb to an offical of the Bureau of Repatriation and Foreigners. Other Chechens, more than their neiboughrs are afraid of repressions from the side of Russian authorities. - A Russian soldier on the street of Grozny was showing me that he was going to slash my throat - another refugee was saying. They tell that they had been travelling to Poland for five days, because of S.and N Ossetia's borders were closed, they're travelled through Baku and Mineralniye Vody, by crowded trains and cheap private buses. For their trip, very often, their whole familes and neighbours were collecting money. The Chechens who came to Poland this last weekend tell about thousands of their countrymen who wait on any possibility to departure from Chechnya and other Caucasian republics. Last week, every day, eight, nine Chechens had applied for the refugee status. Since then, this number has been growing. - I'm afraid, that we can expect the real flood of Chechen refugees - says Jan Wegrzyn, the director general of Bureau of Repatriation and Foreigners. At the disposal of 12 refugee centers there's 2300 individual places. After the last wave of escapes, only a few beds have left empty. Since the beginning of this year an application for the refugee status have filled 4500 persons in Poland, among them 3600 Chechens. [Tr. by M.L.] www.medicalnewstoday.com Trauma of Chechnya's ongoing war on health status and living conditions 14 Sep 2004 This report presents the findings of two quantitative surveys conducted by MSF among the displaced populations in Ingushetia and Chechnya to gain information on living conditions and health status. (The main findings are presented in the table below). People interviewed had been displaced for at least five years. We found a population living in unacceptable conditions, traumatized by conflict, and in fear of their safety. Physical and mental health needs were significant, but access to appropriate services is at best problematic. The authorities are currently undertaking a policy of moving people, against their will, from Ingushet ia to Chechnya, but conditions in both locations are unacceptable and this will do nothing to improve the plight of this vulnerable population. The authorities must ensure protection and appropriate living circumstances for this displaced population. This will require greater attention from the international community to this conflict that has been largely ignored for the last decade. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE 44 PAGE REPORT, PDF http://www.msf.org/source/downloads/2004/chechnya_report.pdf eng.kavaz.memo.ri Caucasian Knot 14/9/2004 Only one mosque functions in Nalchik Today, the Nalchik town administration has rejected a petition of the Spiritual Administration of Moslems of Kabardino-Balkaria to allow mosques in the town to resume their work. Only one mosque functions in Nalchik now. It is a central cathedral mosque. The other six mosques are closed at Mayor Berdov's direction because of the difficult situation. The mosques were closed after the developments in the Chegemsky district where law enforcers clashed with a rebel group members of which allegedly placing themselves among radical Islamists. Leaders of the Spiritual Administration believe the closure of mosques isn't the most effective preventive measure against the dissemination of Islamic radicalism. "It will be better if followers of so called Wahhabism come and are visible," they say. The Spiritual Administration is going to exert influence on them so that to hold unity among the faithful. Author: Lyudmila Maratova, CK correspondent Source: Caucasian Knot |