17:44, 23 April 2004

Process of refugees' return to Chechnya slowed down

Only 86 people, or about 17 families, have left the tent camp Satsita for the last 10 days, a source at Ingushetia's Sunzha district migration department told the Caucasian Knot correspondent. 334 tents, which are home to 1,580 displaced persons from Chechnya, still remain in Satsita.

Officials of the Chechen committee for compensation payments and displaced persons believe that the slow pace of the people's return to their native land results first of all from the delay in receiving compensation notices coming in from Moscow. It is possible that the work to liquidate the last tent camp for Chechen refuges will not be completed by May 1 as it was set, said Akhmed Zaurbekov, the committee's official. But he supposed that when a new batch of notices was received from Moscow the next week, the people would begin to return to Chechnya in large groups and "then we will be able to say all the inhabitants will leave the camp by May 9 at least."

Editors note: See also the article "Over 200 refugees left Satsita camp in April".

Author: Malika Suleymanova, CK correspondent

Source: Caucasian Knot