Ingush leader promises homes to refugees reluctant to return to Chechnya

President Murat Ziazikov of Ingushetia promised to provide accommodation in the republic for the forced migrants who would leave refugee camps unwilling to return to Chechnya.

"Displaced persons unwilling to return to the Chechen Republic can stay in Ingushetia. We will have to provide them with accommodation, in any case, I will not let anyone offend the re-settlers," Ziazikov told Interfax.

There were about 200,000 refugees from Chechnya in the republic several years ago, according to the president's information. Their number presently exceeds 40,000.

Ziazikov is positive about Chechens' going back to their homeland: "Whatever living conditions were provided to refugees in Ingushetia, they want to return home. However, some conditions such as homes and jobs should be provided to them in Chechnya, too, and social problems should be solved."

He said the Ingush authorities continued to think refugees should return to Chechnya on a voluntary basis. "We treat displaced persons as people in trouble. The process of returning to Chechnya is voluntary. We do not try to force it, nor set any dates or deadlines, and we do not seek to make refugees leave earlier," said Ziazikov.

He said in particular 350 Chechen families from the refugee camp Bart closed on March 1 stayed in Ingushetia. About 650 families live in the last two refugee camps, Sputnik and Satsita, located near Orjonikidzevskaia, Ingushetia.

The day before Mompash Machuev, chairman of the refugee affairs committee at the Chechen government, had told Interfax refugees from the Sputnik camp would be provided with homes by mid-March. "Next week the process of refugees' return to Chechnya will go on even more actively. It is planned to provide homes to all refugees from the Sputnik camp by mid-March," Machuev said. He specified the last refugee camp, Satsita, would be closed during March.

Machuev explained the need to liquidate refugee camps with bad living conditions for refugees, and he noted they returned to Chechnya voluntarily. "Human rights organizations constantly make statements about some pressure on refugees. They'd better advocate the people's rights and interests and cry for everyone to hear that living conditions in tents are unbearable," he said.

There are about 47,000 Chechen refugees in Ingushetia currently, according to Machuev's information. About 3,000 live in camps, over 24,000 are in the private sector, and over 20,000 in compact residence places.