10,000 Meskhetian Turks from Kuban region to get refugee status in US

The first information meeting with Meskhetian Turks on the program of their resettlement to the United States was held in the village of Kholmskaya, Krasnodar Territory, on 16 February 2004. As the REGNUM correspondent was told at the Novorossiysk Committee on Human Rights, the US Department of State has charged the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with launching in 2004 the program of assistance in the resettlement of Meskhetian Turks living in Krasnodar Territory. The information campaign arranged by IOM within the framework of the program will be carried out in seven settlements of the region in February. Such meetings are aimed at bringing full information about the program and criteria of participation in it to Meskhetian Turks' notice.

Representatives of regional and local authorities attended the meeting. An official of the regional government promised the present not to put a spoke in their wheel. And Yuri Gnutov from the Abinsk administration announced they would render Meskhetian Turks that wish to take part in the program assistance in the registration of private houses and grounds with following assistance in their selling.

At the end of the meeting, the IOM workers distributed materials about the resettlement program to those present. Now everyone has to decide on his/her destiny independently. About 10,000 Meskhetian Turks, whom the local authorities do not want to recognize as Russian citizens in defiance of the laws, are expected to get refugee status.

Editors note: See also the article "Information campaign on program of Meskhetian Turks' resettlement from Kuban region to US begins".