Russian Congress of Caucasian Nations urges authorities to help in repatriation of Syrian Circassians

The Russian Congress of Caucasian Nations has called on the Russian authorities to pay attention to the problems of Syrian Circassians and help in their resettlement to their historical homeland. The Congress intends to announce this appeal during a picket scheduled in Moscow on November 17.

"Circassians need to move to Russia, because it is their homeland. Syria is at war and they kill Circassians too. Besides, both Syrian rebels and federal troops try to entice Circassians to fight with them; however, Circassians wouldn't like to. They hate being used as cannon fodder," Aslan Khurai, Co-Chairman of the Congress, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Albert Kazharov, a Russian MP from the Council of Federation, has said that Russian Circassians "are closely watching the actions of the authorities and are aware of the planned picket."

"We must use all the legal ways to bring our appeal to the authorities, as we did it in 1998, when a similar situation was in Kosovo. Then, under a simple ruling of Prime Minister Chernomyrdin, the problem was settled – a special MfE flight was sent to the region and evacuated elderly persons, women and children. Men arrived to Maikop by themselves," said Mugdin Chermit, an MP of the Parliament of Adygea.

According to his version, "the authorities should help the ethnic Russians – the Circassians – who wish to permanently or forever return to Russia." "There is a proposal to provide the migrants with a visa-free refugee status, because many of them have lost their documents. There is a form of resettlement under the Red Cross. They also need financial support; besides, migration centres should be created, for example, in empty sanatoriums," said Mr Chermit.