Subeliani: refugees in Georgia may get compensation instead of resettling

As stated by Koba Subeliani, Minister for Matters of Refugees, Internally Displaced Persons and Accommodation of Georgia, the refugees who were evicted on January 20-21 would be able to get their housing in the countryside or monetary compensation. According to other sources, compensations are not paid out now.

"Today, we are evicting only those refugees who had received compensations. Those who did not are offered housing facilities," said Subeliani.

The words of the State Minister are refuted by Nona Kurdovanidze, Project Coordinator of the Association of Young Lawyers of Georgia. According to her story, the eviction notifications that refugees received on December 12 indeed stated that they could receive monetary compensation. "But in fact no money was offered; they were just resettled into the countryside - to Kakheti and Western Georgia," Ms Kurdovanidze explained.

According to the refugees who had received notifications, they tried to get compensations, but the above Ministry just rejected them.
"We went there and asked for money, but they told us that they had no money," Marina, a refugee from the Kodori Gorge in Abkhazia, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"The problem is that the government fails to give detailed information on how the accommodation process really goes, and how the funds are spent," Aleko Shalamberidze, an activist of the "People's Party", told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.