28.05.2008 - Source: Amnesty International

Thousands of people remain internally displaced in the North Caucasus: accommodation centres closed in Grozny; over 18,000 people displaced by Chechen conflict estimated to live in Ingushetia and Dagestan ("Annual Report 2008") [ID 23509]

"Many thousands of people remained internally displaced in the North Caucasus as a result of the second Chechen conflict.

At least seven temporary accommodation centres were closed in Grozny.

Some individuals were reportedly forced to leave without a guaranteed safe and sustainable return to their homes, without adequate alternative housing being offered, and without due process being followed.

Reportedly some individuals were forced to sign statements that they left voluntarily.

Over 18,000 people displaced by the Chechen conflict were estimated to be living in Ingushetia and Dagestan at the end of 2007, some of them living in extremely poor conditions in temporary camps.

Thousands of others remained displaced in Ingushetia from the Prigorodnii district, a territory disputed with North Ossetia."

Document(s): Open document

13.08.2007 - Source: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (formerly Global IDP Project)

In Ingushetia, approximately 25 per cent of the republic’s 15,384 IDPs were living in 76 Temporary Settlements in mid-2007; the remaining 75 per cent were living in private housing; those living in collective accommodation in Ingushetia have been subjected to passport checks, detention and abductions by security forces ("Government efforts help only some IDPs rebuild their lives; A profile of the internal displacement situation") [ID 21203]

"In Ingushetia, approximately 25 per cent of the republic’s 15,384 IDPs were living in 76 TSs in mid-2007; the remaining 75 per cent were living in private housing (DRC, 31 July 2007). The majority of IDPs in Dagestan live in private rented accommodation, though some have spontaneously settled in collective centres. Whereas the property and utility payments of collective accommodation in Chechnya and Ingushetia are covered by the federal authorities, collective centres in Dagestan are neither recognised nor subsidised by the local or federal authorities and as a result, IDPs there mostly pay rent and utility fees themselves. Several years after they left their homes, internally displaced people in the North Caucasus continue to live in very poor conditions. Most collective accommodation facilities are crowded, damp and subject to inadequate sanitation and unreliable water, gas and electricity supplies (Conflict and Health, 13 March 2007; Chechenskoe Obshestvo, 26 November 2006; BBC, 24 February 2006; Kavkazski Uzel, 6 May 2006). The supply of gas and electricity to TSs in Ingushetia, as well as to IDP camps in North Ossetia administered by the government of Ingushetia, has been periodically interrupted due to Ingushetia’s arrears in payments to the regional electricity provider, funds which should have been provided from the federal budget (IDMC / Memorial, 10 October 2006; Kavkazski Uzel, 6 May 2006). Moreover, those living in collective accommodation in Ingushetia have been subjected to passport checks, detention and abductions by federal and local security officials (Kavkazski Uzel, 21 June 2006, 27 January 2007 and 16 March 2007; Memorial, 1 June 2007). Those who have not secured lodging in collective accommodation often live in even worse conditions, as there is a chronic shortage of adequate housing, and homes are often without water, electricity or gas (UNDP, 15 May 2007; IDMC / Memorial, 10 October 2006)."

Document(s): Open document

23.01.2007 - Source: ReliefWeb

18,874 IDPs displaced in Ingushetia in November 2006; the number has decreased by 7,281 since the beginning of 2006 ("Danish Refugee Council North Caucasus Mission Report - Nov 2006"), Autor: Danish Refugee Council (DRC) [ID 18314]

"In November 2006, there were 18,874 IDPs (4,361 households) from Chechnya’s second conflict displaced in Ingushetia. The number of IDPs has decreased by 7,281 since the beginning of the year, and by 486 since October 31st. Majority, 13,583 (3,149 households), of IDPs in Ingushetia live in the private sector, while 5,291 (1,212 households) reside in temporary settlements. 256 IDPs have registered to return to Chechnya: 185 people from temporary settlements and 71 from the private sector. Out of 18,874 IDPs in Ingushetia, 10,371 were DRC food and NFI (non-food items) beneficiaries (WFPserved areas), 3,506 belong to the vulnerable strata, which according to UNHCR criteria, includes pregnant and lactating women, children under the age of three, the disabled, elderly people without adequate social support, orphans and children from single parent homes."

Document(s): Open document

03.08.2006 - Source: Memorial Human Rights Center

At the end of 2005 21,989 Chechen IDPs residing in Ingushetia; very poor living conditions in compact accommodation points (CAPs), which are housed in unsuitable buildings ("On the Situation of Residents of Chechnya in the Russian Federation (July 2005-July 2006)") [ID 17764]

"After tent camps were shut down in 2002 - 2004, compact accommodation points (CAPs) were set up on the territory of the RI with the help of international organizations, including some new centers, where IDPs were invited to move. These small settlements, totaling 67 and having a total capacity of slightly more than 12,000, are housed in unsuitable buildings: garages, shops of shut-down factories, on the premises of former cattle farms, etc. In the end of 2005, according to the IR FMSD, there were 21,989 Chechen IDPs residing in the RI, of them 13,133 persons were in private accommodation and 8,856 people lived in 72 rented rooms. The actual number of IDPs in the Republic is higher, since in every compact accommodation point there are many IDPs who have been removed from the lists of FMSD. According to unofficial figures, currently Ingushetia is home to approximately 38,000 migrants from Chechnya. (...) Living conditions and the condition of houses in some CAPs often do not stand up to any criticism. On February 20, 2006, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour visited the Republic of Ingushetia. She was struck with the miserable plight of the IDPs. She offered an opinion that “despite all the efforts that have most clearly been taken by the Republic and interna-tional organizations, these people are living in extremely miserable conditions. It is also clear that they have been under these conditions for a long period of time."

Document(s): Russian-language report
English-language report

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

26,883 IDPs from Chechnya in Ingushetiya, approximately 30 thousand elsewhere in the country, and about 200 thousand IDPs within Chechnya itself ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46144],  [ID 16773]

"As of November 30, 26,883 IDPs from Chechnya were in temporary settlements or in the private sector in Ingushetiya; approximately 30 thousand Chechen IDPs reportedly were elsewhere in the country, and an estimated 200 thousand Chechens were living as IDPs within Chechnya itself. In addition to ethnic Chechen IDPs, almost the entire population of ethnic Russians, Armenians, and Jews left Chechnya during the strife of the past decade. Throughout 2004 federal and local authorities consistently stated their determination to repatriate all IDPs back to Chechnya as soon as possible. Officials stated publicly that they would not pressure or compel IDPs to return to Chechnya, and Ingush president Zyazikov, whose republic is home to the largest number of Chechen IDPs, promised that accommodation would be found for those remaining in Ingushetiya. However, representatives of the Chechen administration visited camps in Ingushetiya to encourage IDPs to return to Chechnya, usually to temporary IDP facilities. In 2004 the authorities closed the last remaining three tent camps in Ingushetiya, which had housed 5,978 persons. The UNHCR reported that government officials stated their intention to de-register those IDPs who had received compensation from federal assistance lists and indicated that 52 families were de-registered in June. Those who were de-registered faced the threat of eviction from their accommodations in temporary settlements, despite their willingness to pay for the accommodation. Although some of the inhabitants chose to remain in Ingushetiya, the UNHCR estimated that 70 to 75 percent chose to return to Chechnya despite the inadequacy of the temporary lodging. The UNHCR reported that despite passport checks and occasional security sweeps that continued in IDP settlements, the IDPs were generally able to remain in Ingushetiya without any pressure to return (see section 1.g.). However, other international and domestic organizations expressed concerns during the year over the government's treatment of Chechen IDPs in Ingushetiya. The Norwegian Refugee Council noted that IDPs were frequently denied status as "forced migrants" under Russian law, which severely limited their access to social benefits and protection. Others living in regions outside Chechnya were often denied residential registration by local authorities, in what the council characterized as discriminatory practices against Chechens. The UNHCR also reported that pro-Russian Chechen authorities undertook an extensive campaign to return Chechen refugees from Georgia, with the first returnees arriving in Chechnya in May. The UNHCR reported that the returns were voluntary."

Document(s): Open document

21.02.2006 - Source: ReliefWeb

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stunned by misery of 42,000 Chechen refugees living in temporary shelter ("UN rights commissioner 'stunned' by refugee misery in Ingushetia (AFP)") [#44736],  [ID 16774]

"Despite efforts, Chechen refugees who fled their war-torn homeland to the neighboring Ingushetia eke out their existence in extreme poverty, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said following a trip to a tent camp. "When I met these people today, I was stunned by their misery," Arbour said late Monday as quoted by the RIA-Novosti news agency. "Despite obvious efforts by the republic and international organisations, these people live in exceptional poverty, and have been living so for a long time," Arbour said, pledging to aid the refugees. Ingushetia's leader Marat Zyazikov also called for aid for some 12,300 ethnic Ingush who left the nearby North Ossetia due to an armed conflict in 1992 and now seek to return home. Russia poured tens of thousands of troops into Chechnya in October 1999 in an attempt to restore Russian rule after defeat in an earlier 1994-96 conflict, prompting thousands of Chechens and Ingush to flee. Some 42,000 refugees are still in Ingushetia, many of them having to make do with temporary shelter."

Document(s): Open document

20.01.2006 - Source: Amnesty International

Precarious situation for internally displaced people in Ingushetia and Chechnya ("Council of Europe must take action to ensure real change for human rights [EUR 46/002/2006]") [#42576],  [ID 16775]

"In Ingushetia, conditions in the camps for those displaced by the conflict in Chechnya remain generally cramped and unsuitable. The conditions at a camp on the site of a former dairy farm are particularly harsh. However, during a visit to the camps in September 2005, the people living in these conditions who met with the Amnesty International delegates stated that they are afraid to take their families back home to Chechnya while the violence and abuses continue, and while it remains impossible for them to rebuild their destroyed homes. According to information available to Amnesty International, the conditions in the temporary accommodation centres in Grozny which house people displaced from the conflict, including those who returned to Chechnya following the closure of the tent camps in Ingushetia in 2004, are uncomfortable and unsafe. There is no hot or cold water, they are cramped, and those living there are reportedly subject to constant document checks, harassment, intimidation, and detention by Chechen security forces."

Document(s): Open document

11.2005 - Source: Gesellschaft für Bedrohte Völker

According to official information still up to 30 000 Chechen refugees in Ingushetia ("Schleichender Völkermord in Tschetschenien") [#41300],  [ID 16777]

"Weil die humanitäre Lage so schlecht ist, und sie auch vor Übergriffen durch die unterschiedlichen bewaffneten Einheiten nicht sicher sind, kehren Flüchtlinge, die aus Inguschetien schon nach Tschetschenien gegangen waren, wieder in die Nachbarrepublik zurück. Diese Menschen werden jedoch von den Migrationsbehörden in Inguschetien nicht registriert, so dass sie auch keine humanitäre Hilfe bekommen können. So sollen alleine im Ort Karabulak mehr als 300 „neue“ Flüchtlinge aus Tschetschenien leben, nur sechs Familien sollen jedoch staatliche Unterstützung beziehen. Insgesamt sollen in Inguschetien nach offiziellen Angaben noch bis zu 30.000 Flüchtlinge aus Tschetschenien leben (www.kavkaz.memo.ru, 12.11.2005)."

Document(s): Open document

19.05.2005 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Chechnya: The last three tent camps in Ingushetia closed down; pressure on Chechen IDPs to return; 35,000 displaced Chechens remained in Ingushetia ("Human Rights in the OSCE Region: Europe, Central Asia and North America, Report 2005 (Events 2004)") [#32117],  [ID 16779]

"Russian authorities continued to encourage the return to Chechnya of Chechen IDPs residing in neighboring republics, mainly Ingushetia, although the situation in the war-torn republic remained volatile. Some IDPs returned voluntarily, while others did so only because of strong pressure. The last three tent camps in Ingushetia, which accommodated some 7,000 IDPs, were closed during the first half of 2004. It was argued that these measures were taken because of “unbearable” living conditions and fire hazards in the camps. However, it appeared that the true reason was that the tent camps demonstrated the most visible sign of the continued presence of a large number of IDPs in Ingushetia, which contradicted claims that the situation in Chechnya had “normalized.” Methods used to pressure IDPs included threats to cancel their migration service registration, without which they would be unable to receive further humanitarian aid, and promises of compensation for lost property should they return. In some cases, IDPs were also visited by the FSB and threatened with arrest. In the night between 21 and 22 June, 200-300 Chechen fighters staged coordinated attacks on the central office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and several other public institutions in Ingushetia. Similar attacks were reported in the town of Karabulak and in the villages of Sleptsovsk and Troitskaya. As a result of the fighting, about 90 persons were killed and over 100 wounded. Among those killed were several senior Ingushetia officials, including the acting interior minister, Abukar Kostoev. Following this attack, local police conducted operations in most of the republic’s temporary Chechen IDP settlements to control the IDs, interrogate, take fingerprints and search the houses of IDPs. Most of the operations were conducted in a lawful manner, but some involved irregularities. An operation conducted in the temporary settlement in Altievo on 25 June had the character of a mop-up operation and was accompanied by arbitrary mass detentions, beatings, intimidation and robbery. These developments and, in particular, the events in Altiveo, created fears among IDPs that they would be the targets of “retaliaton attacks” in the wake of the armed raid. Many, therefore, decided to leave for Chechnya at this stage. Local NGOs estimated that 2,500 persons returned to Chechnya in the three weeks after the armed raid and the subsequent security operations. At the end of 2004, an estimated 35,000 displaced Chechens remained in Ingushetia. Out of these, about a third were accommodated in temporary settlements and the rest in private homes. At the peak of the fighting in Chechnya in 2000, over 200,000 IDPs resided in Ingushetia, while the figure was 67,000 at the beginning of 2004. The conditions in the temporary accommodation centers in Grozny, where many of returning IDPs ended up living, did not correspond to promises made by the authorities."

Document(s): Open document

18.04.2005 - Source: Médecins Sans Frontières

Report focused on return to Grozny ("Return to Grozny") [#31354],  [ID 16780]

"Pressured by Russian and Ingushetian authorities, many Chechen refugees in the neighboring republic of Ingushetia have headed back home. Today, there are only 34,000 refugees in Ingushetia. Just 18 months ago, there were 80,000"

Document(s): Open document

28.02.2005 - Source: US Department of State

Last last remaining 3 tent camps for Chechen IDPs in Ingushetia closed; government officials stated publicly that they would not pressure or compel IDPs to return to Chechnya; officials stopped registering IDPs in Ingushetiya in 2001, depriving new arrivals of the possibility of regularizing their status in the republic ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2004") [#29515],  [ID 16781]

"Government officials stated publicly that they would not pressure or compel IDPs to return to Chechnya, and Ingush President Zyazikov promised that accommodation would be found for those remaining in Ingushetiya. Federal and local authorities consistently stated their determination to repatriate all IDPs back to Chechnya as soon as possible. Representatives of the Chechen administration visited camps in Ingushetiya to encourage IDPs to return to Chechnya, usually to temporary IDP facilities. In addition, during the year, the authorities closed the last remaining three tent camps in Ingushetiya; they had housed 5,978 persons. Although some of the inhabitants chose to remain in Ingushetiya, the UNHCR estimated that 70 to 75 percent chose to return to Chechnya. Following the June attacks by Chechen fighters in Ingushetiya, security forces conducted raids at several IDP settlements. Human rights NGOs reported that some of these raids resulted in IDPs being beaten or otherwise mistreated (see Section 1.g.). At times, the border between Chechnya and Ingushetiya was closed because of military operations. Federal border guards and police officers on the border between Chechnya and neighboring regions and at checkpoints within the country frequently requiredtravelers to pay bribes. Some Chechens also had trouble travel ing because their documents were lost, stolen, or confiscated by government authorities. Officials stopped registering IDPs in Ingushetiya in 2001, depriving new arrivals of the possibility of regularizing their status in the republic. Local authorities also frequently removed IDPs from the registration lists if they were not physically present when the authorities visited their tents. There were frequent interruptions in gas and electricity to IDP camps in Ingushetiya, events that the IDPs often viewed as pressure to return to Chechnya. Despite the inadequacy of the temporary lodging for IDPs in Chechnya, UNHCR officials reported that more than 26,000 IDPs returned to Chechnya from Ingushetiya between January 1 and October 15."

Document(s): Open document

08.2004 - Source: Médecins Sans Frontières

Assessment of living conditions, and psychosocial and general health status among war displaced in Chechnya and Ingushetia ("The Trauma of ongoing War in Chechnya") [#25622],  [ID 16783]

Document(s): Open document

23.06.2004 - Source: Amnesty International

Chechen IDPs under pressure in Ingushetia (""Normalization" in whose eyes?") [#23468],  [ID 16788]

"Amnesty International received credible reports that during the first months of 2004, the Russian government continued to pressure thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in tent camps in Ingushetia into returning to Chechnya, ignoring their well-founded fears about the security situation there. The government has, for the most part, failed to fulfil promises to provide IDPs who wish to stay in Ingushetia with alternative accommodation there19. The conditions in government-run temporary accommodation centres in the Chechen capital Grozny, where many of the returnees end up living, reportedly do not correspond with promises made by the authorities.20"

Document(s): Open document

07.06.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Ingushetia: Satsita camp, the last tent camp housing Chechen refugees in the republic, has closed ("Last Chechen refugee tent camp closes in neighboring Ingushetia (AFP)") [#23151],  [ID 16789]

Document(s): Open document

01.06.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Ingushetia: President of the republic lashed out at international aid organizations working in the North Caucasus, accusing them of overstepping their mandates ("Leader of republic bordering Chechnya hits out at NGOs (AFP)") [#23150],  [ID 16791]

Document(s): Open document

29.05.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Ingushetia: the Ingush migration authorities notified the refugees in the tent camp Satsita that they must leave by June 1 ("Ingushetia: Refugees ordered to leave tent camp Satsita (Prague Watchdog)") [#23148],  [ID 16792]

Document(s): Open document

24.05.2004 - Source: Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe

Precarious situation of Chechen refugees in Ingushetia ("Tschetschenien und die tschetschenische Bevölkerung in der Russischen Föderation ") [#23046],  [ID 16790]

"Bereits im Jahr 2001 begannen die russischen Migrationsbehörden, Druck auszuüben auf die Vertriebenen in Inguschetien, mit dem Ziel, sie zur Rückkehr nach Tschetschenien zu bewegen, denn die Vertreibenen sind das offensichtlichste Symptom des Krieges. Die Mehrheit der dort untergebrachten Menschen weigerte und weigert sich, nach Tschetschenien zurückzukehren. Als Gründe nennen sie die mangelnde Sicherheit und das Fehlen einer Existenzgrundlage in Tschetschenien.83 Diese Weigerung überzeugt umso mehr, weil die Zustände in den Lagern alles andere als zufriedenstellend sind. Auf engstem Raum lebten dort Tausende von Vertriebenen in rauhen klimatischen Verhältnissen; ihnen standen nur primitive sanitäre und medizinische Einrichtungen und ungenügende Heizvorrichtungen zur Verfügung. Die einseitige Ernährung erleichterte die Verbreitung von ansteckenden Krankheiten. Zudem kam es wie erwähnt auch in Inguschetien vermehrt zu Übergriffen durch Sicherheitskräfte. 84 Im Mai 2002 stellten die russischen Behörden einen Repatriierungsplan vor: Moskau und die pro-russische tschetschenische Regierung wollten vor den Präsidentschaftswahlen vom Oktober 2003 definitiv alle Lager abbrechen. Diese Lagerschliessungen erfolgten meist sehr hastig und ohne genügende Abfederungsmassnahmen.85 Vor den Schliessungen wurden die Vertriebenen mit Versprechungen auf Kompensationen für die erlittenen Kriegsschäden und mit gewaltsamem Druck zur "freiwilligen Rückkehr" gezwungen. Nach Angaben von Memorial wurde vielen Vertriebenen gedroht, dass wer zu spät zurückkehre, keine staatliche Hilfe mehr erhalte oder, dass wer die Lager nicht verlasse, als Widerstandskämpfer betrachtet werde.86 In diesem Zusammenhang haben die Sicherheitskräfte nach Angaben von Human Rights Watch wiederholt Menschen Munition oder Drogen untergeschoben und sie danach verhaftet und misshandelt.87 Die Umstände der ersten Lagerschliessungen waren so empörend und erhielten ein überdurchschnittliches Echo in den Medien, dass Präsident Putin im Herbst 2002 eine Menschenrechtskommission schuf, welche den Prozess überwachen sollte. Vorerst wurden die Lagerschliessungen gestoppt, doch seit dem Herbst 2003 ist ein Lager nach dem andern geschlossen worden, am 1. Mai 2004 das letzte. Von offizieller Seite wird die Schliessung der Lager damit begründet, dass man den Menschen das Leben dort nicht länger zumuten könne. Die bereitgestellten Alternativen reichen jedoch nicht einmal für einen Fünftel der Betroffenen. Die Stärksten und Klügsten erhalten Hilfe, die grosse Mehrheit geht bislang, nach Angaben von Swetlana Gannuschkina, die Mitglied der genannten Menschenrechtskommission ist, leer aus.88 Dabei nützen die Behörden die Uninformiertheit der Vertriebenen über Gesetze und Rechte hemmungslos aus. Die Flüchtlinge gelangen in noch prekärere Massenunterkünfte oder kehren nach Tschetschenien zurück, wo niemand für ihre Sicherheit garantieren kann89 und wo sie oft um die versprochene Entschädigung gebracht werden. Ohne die Nahrungsmittelhilfe sind die Familien, welche einen Teil der Hilfsgüter weiterverkaufen konnten, zudem einer wichtigen Geldquelle beraubt worden, Sie müssen jetzt ihre letzten Habseligkeiten verkaufen, was ihre Überlebensfähigkeit stark einschränkt.90 Eigentlich sollten die Rückkehrenden in Tschetschenien zuerst in eine Notunterkunft gelangen, dort die Entschädigung erhalten und sich damit wieder ein Haus und eine Existenzgrundlage aufbauen. Weil in der Hast der vergangenen Monate alle diese Schritte praktisch gleichzeitig erfolgten sind die wenigen Notunterkünfte überfüllt und ungenügend ausgerüstet und die zuständigen Behörden überfordert. Die Rückkehrenden leben in chaotischen Zuständen.91 Die Rückkehrpolitik zeigt denn auch nur beschränkte 'Erfolge': Während aus dem Lager "Sputnik", das am 1. April 2004 geschlossen wurde, rund 50 Prozent der Menschen tatsächlich nach Tschetschenien zurückgekehrt sind, kehrten nur 23 Prozent der Bewohner des Lagers Bart – geschlossen am 1. März 2004 – in die Heimat zurück. Das UNHCR gibt den Rückkehrwilligen Zelte (box-tents) mit, in denen sie auf ihrem Grundstück in Tschetschenien provisorisch leben sollen. Gemäss Angaben des UNCHR konnten aber bei weitem nicht alle Rückkehrenden mit solchen Zelten ausgerüstet werden.92"

Document(s): Open document

22.04.2004 - Source: Chechen Times

Ingushetia: According to Memorial strongest psychological pressure is being put on Chechen refugees, they are being blackmailed and strongest psychological pressure is being put on the people, they are being blackmailed and threatened to return to Chechnya ("Authorities keep on ’extruding’ refugees out of Ingushetia to Chechnya (Memorial)") [#21629],  [ID 16793]

Document(s): Open document

01.04.2004 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Group of officials of ‘Operative Group of the Government of the Chechen Republic’ entered in the camps in Ingushetia declaring that is necessary to gather and leave the camp, threatening those who refuse, that they would be transferred by force to Chechnya ("Authorities Severely Intimidate Remaining Chechen IDPs in the Last two Tent Camps in Ingushetia") [#21016],  [ID 16794]

"Although there are still 600 persons officially living in ‘Sputnik’ camp, with another 400 who have been arbitrarily removed from registration lists beforehand but stayed there, from today on one of the two last remaining tent camps in Ingushetia, the camp ‘Sputnik’ is declared officially closed as of April 1, 2004, with the relevant order of the Federal Migration Service in the beginning of March. While federal and Chechen officials pretend to have ‘objective’ reasons (like fire hazards) for their efforts to close the camps, the actual reason appears to be the visibility of the tent camps, contradicting claims that the situation in Chechnya has ‘normalized’. Hence, in the last several days of March a strong action of intimidation was conducted in order to ensure the ‘timely’ closure of ‘Sputnik’ camp. According to reports from the Human Rights Centre Memorial, on 29 March 2004, the seemingly final phase of the liquidation of the ‘Sputnik’ camp began, after a first-aid post and the school have been already closed one week ago. At around 9 o’clock in the morning a big group of officials of the so-called ‘Operative Group of the Government of the Chechen Republic’ entered the camp. Enforcement officials from other regions of Russia accompanied them. Numerous vehicles moved onto the territory of the camp, including police cars and several large trucks. The officials walked from tent to tent, declaring that is necessary to gather and leave the camp immediately, threatening those who refuse, that they would be transferred by force to their permanent places of residence in Chechnya. They offended people, quarrelled obscenely, and threatened to disconnect gas, water and electricity. At the end, only those 11 families that had originally agreed to return to Chechnya were loaded into the trucks and taken away but all the residents of camps were severely intimidated and began panicking. Later on, officials from the Ingush Migration Service promised that those who had explicitly declared their unwillingness to go back to Chechnya, would get a place in former industrial premises of the seed facilities, also located near to the settlement of Sleptsovskaya. But those who applied to be moved there were told, that they can only move there only if a group of 20 families ready to be thus relocated is gathered before the end of the day. Eight families agreed to the relocation immediately. Some families were interested, but wanted to see the place first. Their request was refused. As the number of families willing to be transferred did not reach the required 20, no one was relocated and people were told that the opportunity to be moved to those premises was lost to them once and for all. IDPs were also refused to get accommodation in one of the 180 small panel-board houses, that had been erected by the NGO ‘Medecins Sans Frontieres’ already a year ago and have remained empty due to the lack of the relevant permission from the Ingush authorities. The residents of ‘Sputnik’ were told that those panel-board houses “are not for you”, with the explanation that they were reserved for inhabitants of the last remaining camp ‘Satsita’. [...]"

Document(s): Open document

01.04.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Ingushetia: Sputnik, one of the two remaining camps for Chechen refugees closed ("One of last two Chechen refugee camps closes in neighboring republic (AFP)") [#21002],  [ID 16795]

"One of the two remaining tent camps for Chechen refugees in the Ingushetia republic on the border of war-torn Chechnya closed Thursday, Russia's federal migration service said. "Sputnik, one of the two remaining camps, closed today. The last 137 people there have gone back to Chechnya," Yelena Alexeyeva, a spokeswoman for the service, told AFP. "The only tent camp remaining in Ingushetia is Satsita, which currently has 1,900 refugees," Alexeyeva said. In January then minister for Chechnya Stanislav Ilyasov vowed to close Ingushetia's tent camps by March 1, though authorities backed off the deadline after an outcry by rights groups. The camps in Ingushetia are an embarassment to the Kremlin, which insists that the war that it launched in the Caucasus republic is over and the refugees can safely return home. But many of the refugees have refused to return because a guerrilla war between separatists and pro-Moscow forces continues to claim lives on nearly a daily basis and random kidnappings are common. Authorities have been luring refugees back to Chechnya with promises of compensation for lost homes. As of February 13, 65,208 refugees had registered for assistance with United Nations-affiliated international organizations in Ingushetia, according to UN figures. Out of these, 5,678 were in the three tent camps, 24,035 in temporary settlements, and 35,495 in private accomodations."

Document(s): Open document

24.03.2004 - Source: Prima News

Ingushetia: Chechen refugees in Sunzha region continue to leave camp to be closed on April 1 ("Chechen refugees expunged from Ingushetia") [#20696],  [ID 16797]

"The cause of the situation lies in the fact that the authorities have officially announced the closing of the camp by April 1. Many refugees who don’t want to return to Chechnya have found accommodations in other refugee camps and private homes in Ingushetia. On March 22 a group of refugees from the camp “Logovas” in Nazran turned to the Ingush office of the Information Center for Russian-Chechen Friendship. They said that immigration officials had excluded nearly 100 refugees living in the camp from the list of those who could receive humanitarian aid. Three months ago, these same people stopped receiving receipts for their payments of fees for the use of gas and electricity. They were warned by the administration of the tent camp that they had to leave by March 24, 2004."

Document(s): Open document

23.03.2004 - Source: Prima News

Ingushetia: Chechen refugee camp to be closed by April 1; 150 tents for 800 refugees ("Chechen refugee camp Sputnik to be closed down on 1 April") [#20633],  [ID 16798]

"[...] people say that in Chechnya, where Sputnik’s residents have to move "of their own free will" by 1 April, to-date no acceptable living conditions have been provided for them. There are effectively no places in the temporary residence centres in Chechnya. Refugees say that their return home has nothing to do with the improving situation in Chechnya but with dramatic worsening in their circumstances in Ingushetia. The authorities’ indirect pressure on Chechen refugees increases day by day. Numerous officials from various state structures and departments visit refugee camps practically every day and by means of promises, blackmail and threats make them sign papers stating that they are prepared to return to Chechnya. The refugees have no doubts that after the closure of Sputnik refugee camp, the authorities will put all their effort into closing down Satsita — the last large Chechen refugee camp in Ingushetia."

Document(s): Open document

12.03.2004 - Source: Chechen Times

Ingushetia: Another deadline for dismantling the Sputnik refugee camp expired today; refugees refuse retunring to Chechnya for fear of local law enforcement units ("Refugees from Sputnik flatly refuse returning to Chechnya (PW)") [#20326],  [ID 16800]

"Another deadline for dismantling the Sputnik refugee camp in Ingushetia expired today; but unsurprisingly, only 20 families left the camp. Just as they’ve done in the past, when ordered to leave by a certain deadline, most people ignored it and stayed put. And of those who did go, some found accommodations in Ingushetia while others returned to Chechnya. [...] The reasons given for this reluctance to return to Chechnya are all the same. «Before we were afraid of Russian soldiers, now the threat comes from local law enforcement units," the refugees said. They then cited examples of detainees who were beaten and tortured by Chechens engaged in various law enforcement work. The new Chechen powers-that-be shrewdly use a carrot and stick approach. First they threaten to bulldoze the refugees’ tents; then they promise to give them money to compensate for their destroyed houses if they agree to return home. However, the refugees who do accept this offer are then denied the documents that detail the results of their case. Only after they dismantle their tents, pack up their belongings and leave the premises, are they able to get them. Unfortunately many refugees take the bait and end up with fake documents, as our Prague Watchdog correspondent discovered in talking with them."

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08.03.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Ingushetia: the camp of Bart - one of three tented camps for Chechens in Ingushetia, located near the town of Karabulak - was officially closed on March 1 ("Ingushetia: camp Bart officially closed (UNHCR)") [#20113],  [ID 16802]

"The camp of Bart -- one of three tented camps for Chechens in Ingushetia, located near the town of Karabulak in Ingushetia -- was officially closed on March 1. Bart was the first tented camp to be built in Ingushetia for Chechen IDPs. According to the Ingushetia Migration Department, by late 1999 there were nearly 6,000 people living there. As of 29 February 2004, only 315 persons remained there. The closure of Bart went smoothly. Alternative shelter was offered in temporary settlements in Ingushetia for those not yet willing to return to Chechnya. According to Danish Refugee Council, which looked after the camp, 244 returned to Chechnya while 71 people went to temporary settlements in Ingushetia. With the authorities now issuing in the camps notifications of eligibility for government compensation for destroyed houses and lost property in Chechnya, it is expected that more will opt for return to Chechnya. The two remaining tented camps, Satista and Sputnik, still house nearly 4,500 people."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Ingushetia: A large-scale search was carried out at the Satsita refugee camp by federal soldiers as well as members of some unknown Chechen law enforcement units ("Raid on refugee camp Satsita (Prague Watchdog)") [#20112],  [ID 16803]

"A large-scale search was carried out early this morning at the Satsita refugee camp Satsita in Ingushetia, one of the two remaining Chechen tent camps in the republic. According to Satsita residents, the camp was surrounded by four tanks and eight armoured personnel carriers. The operation was carried out by federal soldiers as well as members of some unknown Chechen law enforcement units who arrived in 17 UAZ jeeps. Despite the early hour, many refugees were out for morning prayers, all of whom were detained. Meanwhile, searches were carried out throughout the camp. According to residents, soldiers entered tents and began checking documents, claiming they were looking for guerrillas and weapons. [...] One local policeman tried to protect the refugees and was beaten. Seventeen men were herded onto a bus that was parked behind the camp, and according to Ruslan Dzhamsayev who was among them, they were told that a computer was needed to properly check all our papers. "But no computer was on board; only one man was in there, carefully observing us, " said Dzhamsayev. However, these men were eventually released due to the clamor and insistence exerted by their wives. [...] According to Chechen human rights defenders, there was no specific reason for the search. "It was simply an act of intimidation aimed at forcing people to leave the camp, and carried out according to a usual scenario," stated Ruslan Badalov, chairman of the human rights organization Chechen National Salvation Committee."

Document(s): Open document

01.03.2004 - Source: Prima News

Ingushetia: The Council of NGOs states that the refugee camp “Satsita” will probably be liquidated; school classes for refugee children to end by 1 March ("Chechen refugees in Ingushetia are being “liquidated”") [#19840],  [ID 16804]

Document(s): Open document

26.02.2004 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Ingushetia: Chechen refugees in tent camps intimidated into leaving ("Russia “Forcing” Camp Closures") [#19805],  [ID 16805]

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17.02.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Ingushetia: President Murat Zyazikov denied displaced persons will be forcibly repatriated/ he said there is no deadline for the return of displaced persons to Chechnya, and that any who wish to remain in Ingushetia may do so ("Chechen, Ingush officials deny displaced persons will be forcibly repatriated (RFE/RL)") [#19371],  [ID 16807]

"Ingushetia's President Murat Zyazikov denied on 13 February that camps in Ingushetia for displaced persons who fled Chechnya during the ongoing hostilities will be shut down and the residents forcibly repatriated, Interfax reported. He said no deadline for the return of displaced persons to Chechnya exists, and that any who wish to remain in Ingushetia may do so"

Document(s): Open document

13.02.2004 - Source: Prima News

Ingushetia: Water supply cut off in various places where Chechen refugees reside, among them the tent camps “Satsita” and “Sputnik” (village of Ordzhenikidze), “Bart” (in the town of Karabulak) and several other places of temporary residence ("The water has been cut off from refugees") [#19305],  [ID 16808]

Document(s): Open document

16.01.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Ingushetia: Russia to shut down Chechen refugee camps ahead of presidential elections ("Russia to shut down Chechen refugee camps ahead of presidential vote (AFP)") [#18797],  [ID 16809]

"A top official told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday that all Chechen refugee camps would be shut down by March 1, less than two weeks before the president who launched the war in the southern republic faces reelection. The camps, in the Ingushetia republic that borders Chechnya, are a constant embarrassment to the Kremlin, which insists that refugees can safely return home, and authorities have unsuccessfully tried to close them down for at least four months. The tent camps were originally due to be shut down by October 1, then January 1, but many refugees have refused to leave, afraid to return to a shattered republic where open warfare has turned into a guerrilla conflict that continues to claim lives nearly daily. Russia's minister in charge of Chechnya Stanislav Ilyasov told Putin at a Kremlin meeting on Friday that the camps would be closed by March 1, which would empty out the camps before the March 14 presidential election that Putin is expected to easily win. [...] But Ingush authorities denied that there was any deadline for the camps' closure. "The return of refugees to Chechnya from Ingushetia will be an exclusively voluntary process, and the republic's authorities will not set any deadline," the Ingush president's spokesman told Interfax."

Document(s): Open document

15.01.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Insecurity and inadequate living conditions (summary of the main findings of the newly updated country pofile on IDPs in the RF prepared by the NRC) ("IDPs in northern Caucasus endure violence and destitution (NRC)") [#18796],  [ID 16810]

"IDPs from Chechnya who initially found a safe haven in neighbouring Ingushetia, have been living under increasing threats to their physical safety. Since 2002, federal and Ingush authorities have exerted strong pressure on the IDPs living in tent camps to leave. Mop-up operations have been conducted in several camps during 2003, leading to arbitrary arrests, disappearances, ill-treatment, and the looting of property belonging to IDPs. The human rights organisation Memorial reported that in Ingushetia 20 IDPs were snatched in June and July 2003, and that most of them were still missing (IWPR, 31 July 2003). IDPs in Ingushetia remain dependent on the assistance and the protection provided by the international community for their basic needs. The vast majority of IDPs are unemployed, while half of the displaced families rely on the pension of one of their family members (UN, November 2003). IDPs who are not registered by the local authorities do not receive federal assistance and rely on aid from international agencies. Non-registered IDPs living in temporary settlements or hosted by the local population have been increasingly vulnerable to evictions as authorities have stopped reimbursing owners of settlement premises for the accommodation and utilities provided (UN OCHA, 31 March 2003). Tent camps were upgraded in 2002 while rehabilitated rooms and box tents were provided to IDPs in 2003 (UN OCHA, 25 July, 21 October 2003)."

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13.01.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Ingushetia: Chechen refugees sheltering in Ingushetia must leave their tented camps by March 1 ("Chechen refugee camps in Ingushetia to close by March: Chechen govt (AFP)") [#18691],  [ID 16811]

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17.12.2003 - Source: Memorial Human Rights Center

Chechnya/Ingushetia: Report on the situation in the tent camps in Ingushetia and in the temporary residence facilities in Grozny ("The situation in the tent camps in Ingushetia and in the temporary residence facilities in Grozny (autumn 2003)") [#19384],  [ID 16812]

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08.12.2003 - Source: Prima News

Ingushetia: The inhabitants of the Alina tent refugee camp are seriously concerned with the authorities’ aspirations to move them out and liquidate the camp ("Chechen refugees being ejected from Alina refugee camp") [#18073],  [ID 16813]

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10.11.2003 - Source: Prima News

Ingushetia: First “census” of refugees living in Satsita camp excluded dozens of refugee families; they were threatened with forcible relocation out of Satsita; renewed examination of Migration services lists to reinstate the names of people unjustly excluded ("Refugees counted Again in Satsita camp") [#17621],  [ID 16814]

"According to the Council of Non-government Organisations, yet another “census” of the population will take place in Satsita, the tent city of Chechen refugees. The reason for the procedure is that several days ago, without any sort of basis, representatives of the so-called "Moscow Workers’ Group” excluded from the Migration Services lists dozens of refugee families living in the camp. The administrators made it known that those people not included on the lists for a period of three days would be forcibly relocated out of Satsita."

Document(s): Open document

07.11.2003 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Abuses against IDPs in refugee camps in Ingushetia escalated dramatically in June 2003 during the so-called “mop-up” carried out by masked Russian forces , who subjected Chechen IDPs to forced disappearance, torture and ill-treatment and looted their property ("Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment") [#17377],  [ID 16815]

"Moreover, while serious human rights violations continue in Chechnya, the crisis has spilled over into its neighboring republic. While abuses against internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been reported throughout the existence of the refugee camps in Ingushetia, they escalated dramatically in June 2003 during the so-called “mop-up” carried out by masked Russian forces, who subjected Chechen IDPs to forced disappearance, torture and ill-treatment and looted their property. According to reports, these raids were carried out by pro-Moscow Chechen police under the control of Chechnya Administrator Akhmad Kadyrov. The raids demonstrated a widening of the near four-year-long Chechnya conflict, and violated international protection standards for IDPs. At least four persons disappeared during the sweeps."

Document(s): Open document

08.10.2003 - Source: Caucasus Times

Ingushetia: Bella camp residents relocated to Satsita camp remain without basic necessities ("Bella camp residents relocated to Satsita camp remain without basic necessities as yet") [#16619],  [ID 16816]

"The residents of the former Bella camp displaced to another settlement in Satsita camp in Ingushetia were left without elementary conveniences including electricity and the heat. As of October 8, there were 150 tents set for the relocated persons from Bella camp. The migration service official repeatedly pledged all infrastructure services and facilities would be established in Satsita camp compelling the refugees to move there. According to Movsar Bitiyev, a local man, as yet there are no gas, electricity, heat in the set up tents where people have to live. "At first, we were being pressured by the official to leave Bella camp, now they apply the same tactic here," the man said. "In these two weeks over, we are left without the heat in the tents. Besides, our children are not allowed in a local school, ain't no places there, they said". The district Interior Ministry Migration service excused the situation reasoning the public utilities services overloaded before the season and therefore failed to complete all repair works in the camp."

Document(s): Open document

01.09.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

Chechnya: More than 20,000 Chechen refugees with Ingush origin refused to return to Chechnya and instead will stay in Ingushetia ("20,000 refugees refusing to return to Chechnya: officials (AFP)") [#15679],  [ID 16819]

Document(s): Open document

18.08.2003 - Source: Caucasus Times

Ingushetia: Situation in the refugee camp "Avtodor" remains uneasy so far, while representatives of the 'Avtodor' enterprise where the tent camp is located, are trying to squeeze the residents out the territory (""Avtodor" refugee camp residents remain in trouble") [#15189],  [ID 16822]

Document(s): Open document

11.08.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

Ingushetia: Nine refugees of those who were recently displaced from the "Bela" refugee camp in Ingushetia to the nearby Ordzhonikidzevskaya village have been hospitalized after inhaling poisonous chemical substances ("Refugees placed in former warehouse for pesticides (PW)") [#15086],  [ID 16823]

Document(s): Open document

08.08.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

Ingushetia: Chechen civilians continue to face increasing pressure to leave Bella camp, a displaced persons tented settlement that is gradually being emptied in Sleptovskaia ("Ingushetia: One of the three largest camps in Ingushetia, Bella, is being emptied, under the indifferent watch of the international community (MSF)") [#15089],  [ID 16824]

Document(s): Open document

31.07.2003 - Source: Caucasus Times

Ingushetia: 62,000 refuges displaced from Chechnya who temporarily reside in Ingushetia including 13.000 persons living in tent camps ("About 62,000 displaced Chechens remain in Ingushetia") [#15190],  [ID 16825]

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31.07.2003 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Ingushetia: thousands of displaced Chechens reportedly pressured to return as officials say they will close refugee camps within the next two months ("New Threat to Chechen Refugees") [#14774],  [ID 16826]

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19.07.2003 - Source: Frankfurter Rundschau

MSF accuse the Russian government of forcibly returning Chechen refugees by depriving them of humanitarian aid ("Die Verschärfung des Elends soll die Tschetschenen zurücktreiben") [#14789],  [ID 16827]

"Die rund 90 000 Menschen, die vor dem tschetschenischen Bürgerkrieg nach Inguschetien geflüchtet sind, müssen dort nach Angaben von Ärzte ohne Grenzen unter immer unwürdigeren Bedingungen leben. Soldaten, die in der Nähe der Zeltlager stationiert sind, belästigten und bedrohten die Flüchtlinge unverhohlen. Humanitäre Hilfe werde gekürzt, Gas und Wasser würden oft abgestellt, verrottete Zelte dürften nicht ersetzt werden. " Die Menschen müssen somit ohne ausreichende Hilfe und ohne Schutz leben", so Ulrike von Pilar, Geschäftsführerin von Ärzte ohne Grenzen."

17.07.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

Refugees in Ingusehetia removed from humanitarian aid lists by Moscow-backed Chechen government's commission for forcibly displaced people ("Refugees in Ingushetia being (PW)") [#14580],  [ID 16829]

"New inspections have been underway in Chechen refugee camps in Ingushetia. This time the Moscow-backed Chechen government's commission for forcibly displaced people has been checking the refugees according to the lists. Members of the commission walk tent by tent and put down the surname of every person whom they find there. Those who are not present are removed from the list thus losing their right to humanitarian aid. The members of the commission claim these measures are taken in order to identify those who have been receiving humanitarian aid both in Chechnya and Ingushetia, and to find the so-called "dead souls". However, these efforts have had a totally opposite effect. A number of refugees have been removed from the list at the time when they were gone from the camp to work or run an errand. No one had notified them about the inspections. Many refugees literally flocked Chechnya to get their documents after having found about the possibility to get compensated for their lost homes. And they were mostly these people who have been removed from the lists. During one day only, some five hundred people were taken off the list in the Sputnik refugee camp in the Ordzhonikidzevskaya village. In all the camps in Ingushetia this measure affects a few thousand refugees."

Document(s):