Protesters stay inside building of Georgian Ministry for Refugees for New Year holidays

Two forced migrants from Abkhazia, who demand to provide them with housing, stay for the second day in the locked building of the Ministry for Refugees, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia. The protesters said they had no money to celebrate the New Year.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that since September 2019, internally displaced persons (IDPs, or forced migrants) have been holding their protest actions in the lobby of the above ministry, where they had equipped a "sleeping corner" for themselves. They claim that the money allocated by the state for renting housing is not enough, and demand to provide them with permanent housing.

In the morning on December 31, 2019, Fridron Djodjua, a forced migrant, and Inga Rusiya, another protester, entered the ministry building, while the staff was still at work there. "On December 31, they locked the doors, and we stayed inside. We'll only leave on January 3, when the ministry resumes work," Mr Djodjua told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to his story, on January 3, he and Inga Rusiya will be replaced by other forced migrants, who seek solution of their housing problems.

Protesters have stated that on the 108th day of their protest action, the minister had never found time to meet the settlers.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 1, 2020 at 08:18 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.