23:40, 8 December 2003

Chechen refugees are being moved from Alina camp

Inhabitants of the Alina tent camp in the village of Ordzhonikidzevskaya are seriously concerned with the authorities' attempts to move them from the camp and to liquidate this temporary accommodation center.

The people are offered to resettle to the neighboring Satsita camp. With all this going on, even minimal conditions have not been created for them to live there. Only graveling has been started at the site marked out for new tents.

Officially Alina has not been functioning since December 1, 2003, in conformity with Order No 20/6931 of November 17, 2003, signed by First Deputy Head of the Federal Migration Service Militia General Yunash. The pretext for the order is similar to those already used before, like fight for sanitary, fire, epidemiological, and infectious safety.

It is absolutely obvious that the process of gradually forcing the refugees out in such a way in order to liquidate tent camps is going, despite the fact that authorities always declare publicly they will not deport refugees by force.

Source: Public organization "Chechen National Rescue Committee"