Residents of Prigorodny District, North Ossetia, complain of violations of refugees' rights

The major issue for refugees is the fate of the Prigorodny District and their return there, as reports Bagaudin Khadziev, employee of the human rights organization "Union of Genocide Victims". Refugees complain that the compensations allocated to forced migrants from the Prigorodny District and Vladikavkaz, are given out not to them.

In the opinion of Mr Hadziev, who lives in Kartsa village, Prigorodny District, Ingushes in the Prigorodny District have a dual attitude to the future of the Prigorodny District, same as to participation on February 1 in the Congress of Ingush Nation, where the topic of the Prigorodny District was touched on, of President of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek Evkurov.

"Some people think that the new President Yunus-Bek Evkurov is just a protege of the Kremlin and the latter's views on the Prigorodny District; that is, these people expect no decisive steps towards return of the Prigorodny District. Others believe that Yunus-Bek Evkurov is completely interested in return of the Prigorodny District, being guided in this issue by people's lawful claims," Bagaudin Khadziev said in his comments on the outcomes of the Congress.

"I personally believe that the new President is a consolidating figure. And unlike the previous leaders, he is able to fix good neighbourhood relations with North Ossetia," Mr Khadziev has noted.

He asserts that residents of the Prigorodny District are first of all interested in guarantees, which are ensured by territorial rehabilitation and stability.

Bagaudin Khadziev has noted that the villages of the Prigorodny District are dominated by artificial tension between Ossetians and Ingushes pumped up by Ossetian authorities.

One of the problems was explained to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by one of forced migrants from the Prigorodny District, who preferred to remain anonymous. According to his story, the Department of the Federal Migratory Service of Russia for the Republic of Ingushetia indulges that the monetary compensations due to forced migrants from the Prigorodny District and Vladikavkaz are paid out to those who had never been refugees. They present false documents and usually are either relatives of employees of the Migratory Service or make such deals profitable for the latter. Also, the source has reported, the employees of the Migratory Service send their relatives instead of forced migrants, when free-of-charge resort vouchers are allocated.

Social disorder is another refugees' problem. Isa, a forced migrant from Maiskoe village of the Prigorodny District, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent: "It would be nice to settle at last the problem of the Prigorodny District. People are still living in trailers. The enmity between Ingushes and Ossetians is warmed up by different provokers. Thus, until now our children are not admitted to certain schools."