Ingushetia intends not to force out refugees whatever happens

The upcoming elections in Chechnya will not influence a position of
Ingushetia’s authorities concerning the Chechen refugees.

The internally displaced Chechen persons will go back to Chechnya only
on a voluntary basis and the authorities of Ingushetia is not going to
stimulate this process in connection with upcoming elections in the
neighboring republic.

This statement was made by Murat Ziazikov, the president of Ingushetia
on August 27 in his talks with the delegates of the World Trade
Organization in Magas.

Nevertheless, according to refugees the situation around the refugee
camps in Ingushetia has become tense. The officials of migration
control agencies of Chechnya and Ingushetia, under the forced pretext
continued arm-twisting to boost the deportation of refugees.

Evidently, the residents of tent camps are quoted as saying, this
activity must be linked with the coming election campaign in Chechnya.
“Every official visitor here confirms the tent camps must have been
demolished by the end of September and no camp should be left in
Ingushetia,” said Mussa Abuhajiyev, a resident of ‘Bella’ camp. “It
doesn’t matter how much we’re scared, if they force us to the wall
we’ll have to get out of here.”