Russian Officials Try to Convince Chechen Refugees to Repatriate

A group of officials from Russia, which also includes representative from the pro-Moscow Chechen administration, visited on May 25 Georgia”s Pankisi gorge, which is now a shelter for about 2,500 Chechen refugees, who fled the war in this rebel republic of Russia in 1999.

Before departure to Pankisi, the members of the Russian delegation, which includes Chief of the Chechen President”s Administration Husein Makayev, held talks with Georgian Minister for Refugees and Accommodation Eter Astemirova to discuss the issue of repatriation of Chechen refugees back to Chechnya.

“They [members of the Russian delegation] offer new security guarantees to Chechen refugees in case of their repatriation to Chechnya,” Eter Astemirova told Civil Georgia on May 25.
 
She said, that the Russian side offers Chechen refugees that “temporary places of settlement” will be set up in Chechnya, where the repatriated Chechens will be able to live until their apartments, destroyed as a result of armed conflict, are built or reconstructed. The Russian side also promises to pay compensation to Chechen refugees for rebuilding home, Astemirova added.
 
“I told the members of the delegation that the Georgian side will create no obstacles to those Chechen refugees, who express desire to return home,” the Georgian Minister said.

Delegations of the Russian officials have already visited Pankisi gorge three other times in recent years in an attempt to convince refugees to return to Chechnya. But during the talks with the Russian officials, the Chechen refugees always showed a caution regarding this repatriation. Refugees want resettlement in the third country.

On the other hand many Chechens have already left Georgia, some of them moved back to Chechnya, as their numbers halved after 1999, when up to 7,000 Chechens fled from the second war in Chechnya.

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