07:09, 10 September 2015

HRC to urge Russian President to receive refugees from Syria in the Caucasus

Maxim Shevchenko. Photo: http://president-sovet.ru/members/75/multimedia/

The Russian Presidential Council for Civil Society Institutions Development and Human Rights will consider a draft appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin with the request to allow the reception of Syrian Circassians. According to Maxim Shevchenko, the initiator of the appeal, at present, refugees face challenges when trying to resettle, including challenges arising from the lack of quotas.

In Syria, in the course of the armed conflict, the settlements of Circassians are also often subjected to bombing. The Circassians living in Syria have repeatedly contacted the Russian authorities and public with an appeal for help.

According to Maxim Shevchenko, 5000-10,000 Syrian Circassians can find accommodation in Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, and the Krasnodar Territory. Maxim Shevchenko has also noted that he treats resettlement of Circassians as priority due to the fact that their ancestors lived in Russia.

In his turn, Konstantin Romodanovsky, the head of the Russian Federal Migration Service (FMS), believe that Russia will not face flows of Syrian refugees, since Russia is not a transit country for them.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that after the escalation of the armed conflict in Syria, Syrian Circassians began returning to the regions of the Southern Federal District (SFD) and the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD). In 2014, Kabardino-Balkaria issued 1000 temporary residence permits for returnees in the region.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.