17:52, 27 December 2007

28 illegal migrants from Chechnya detained in the Polish-Czech border

28 Chechens have been detained in Poland in the Warsaw-Vienna "Polonia" international express train; they tried to illegally cross the Czech border. The fact was made public today by Major Tsezariy Zaborskiy, official spokesman of the Slonsk Frontier Guard.

According to his story, among the detained citizens of Russia there are 12 children. In general, the Chechens are quite legally residing in the territory of Poland; however, they have no right to cross the state border even after the accession of the country to Schengen Zone on December 21.

The detained citizens of Russia have applied for refuge in Poland, and their cases are now under consideration. The Chechens have temporary documents confirming the fact of their appeal to the Polish authorities with a request for asylum.

"All of them were staying in unguarded centres for foreigners," the RIA "Novosti" quotes Mr Zaborskiy. "The Chechens' current status allows them to freely move within the territory of Poland only." "We have already gone to court with a request to send the Chechens to a guarded centre for refugees," he has assured.