18 refugee families return to Chechnya from Ingush TACs

On August 23, 18 families of Chechen refugees, who had lived in temporary accommodation centres (TACs) in Ingushetia for 20 years, were provided with comfortable apartments in the city of Grozny. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has learnt about it from Isa Askhabov, the head of the Department of Housing and Communal Services of the Grozny City Administration.

"The apartments were bought by the Administration from the foundation named after Akhmat Kadyrov, the first President of the Chechen Republic. The Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov had ordered to find all the refugees, who earlier lived in Grozny and other Chechen towns and villages, and who want to return to their homeland, and to provide all of them with housing," said Isa Askhabov.

According to his story, a delegation of the Grozny City Administration, led by the Mayor Islam Kadyrov, travelled to Ingushetia to get acquainted with the refugees living in the TACs, and then completed a list of those who want to return home in order to define their need for housing.

"At the same time, it was decided to provide flats to all of them, regardless of their nationality: to Chechens, Russians and Ingushes," said Isa Askhabov, adding that initially the Mayoralty bought flats for those families who had lived in Grozny before the outbreak of the warfare. But then it was decided to provide housing also to refugees who had lived in the countryside. Thus, the families of Zura Esembaeva, Yakhita Mudueva, Aset Khadisova, Sila Suleimanova and others, who had lived in rural areas, also received apartments in Grozny.

"I was given a two-room flat with all modern conveniences – after so many years of living in tents and barracks. Now, my family has its home – a real apartment! I couldn't even dream about it," Aset Khadisova told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to her story, when it became known that the Achkhoy-Martan District, where she was born, was unable to provide housing to her, she returned to Karabulak. "But on the following day I had a call from the Grozny Mayoralty; and they told me that my problem would be solved, same like with all the others, who had lived in the village before the war. They sent a car, took us to the Mayoralty of Grozny; and there we were all awarded apartment warrants," said Aset Khadisova.

Marina Yalkhoroeva, who was among the first to obtain a warrant for a three-room flat, and Sila Suleimanova both said that when they learnt that bosses from Grozny Mayoralty would come to Karabulak to solve their housing problems, they could not even hope that everything would happen so quickly.

Marina Yalkhoroeva said that Mayoralty officials knew, from the media and the video posted on the Internet, showing the visit of Yunus-Bek Evkurov, the head of Ingushetia, to the temporary accommodation centre (TAC) in Karabulak, about the problems of her family (the meeting of Evkurov with Chechen refugees and forced migrants from North Ossetia took place in Karabulak on July 2, – note of the "Caucasian Knot"). "It turned out that they knew that my son was seriously ill. The promised to help with his treatment," she said.

Muslim Yandiev, Mayor of Karabulak, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the TAC "Promzhilbaza" is still housing three displaced families from the Prigorodny District. "The kindergartens No. 1 and 'Ryabinka' are still housing ten families, who have long had to vacate the premises, since multi-storey houses will be built there," said the Mayor.

When asked by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent until when the above families could stay where they are, Yandiev refused to answer, saying that he was very busy.

"So far, they don't evict us by force, but begin squeezing," Isiyat Dzaurova, a single mother with five children, the youngest being only eight months old, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. In order to make at least some penny, she has to repair other people's apartments.

"My two younger kids are reared by a nanny; I pay her 10,000 roubles per month. I sent my elder children to relatives for a week. Prior to going to work, I called Fatima Khashagulgova, an employee of the Mayoralty, and told her that I went to work. And if something would be undertaken, say, a forced eviction by court marshals, then, I asked to call me. However, soon a neighbour called and said that workers came to the house where we live and dismantled windows and doors," said Isiyat.

According to her story, there was nobody in, and some things disappeared from the house.

Fatima Khashagulgova from the Karabulak Mayoralty said that the Mayor Muslim Yandiev ordered to remove windows and doors from the house where Dzaurova's family lives. "We thought that nobody lived there; and we were told that someone who had received a flat in Grozny wanted to move in there; therefore, we removed doors and windows," said Khashagulgova.

In 1992, when the Ossetian-Ingush conflict burst out, Aminat Nalgieva was only seven years old. All these years she and her relatives have lived, as forced migrants, in various TACs, the last one being the kindergarten No. 1 in Karabulak. Here, she gave birth to her five children. "Now, I'm divorced with my husband, Azamat Ozdoev; neither he nor his relatives help me. My income for the family is 750 roubles of the children's allowances. My retired parents help as they can," said Aminat.

Now, her main problem is where to go with her five children, when they will have to move out of the kindergarten. She said that she had repeatedly sought help from the republic's leadership, but to no avail. "Nobody pays attention to my letters and appeals," she said. "I addressed the head of Ingushetia – he said that my parents had received compensation; and I have no chance. Every morning I wake up with fear: here court marshals come and start throwing our things into the street," complains Aminat Nalgieva.

Zina Mestoeva, who lives in the same kindergarten with 92-year-old mother since 1999, starts every day with the same feeling. Her mother is sick with hypertension and diabetes; for eight years she cannot move independently. "No help from anyone; however, when Evkurov came here with reporters (the meeting of Evkurov with Chechen refugees and forced migrants from North Ossetia took place in Karabulak on July 2, – note of the "Caucasian Knot"), he gave 5000 roubles to my mother," said Zina. She appealed to the Mayor of Karabulak asking to allocate a land plot for her, where she could erect a panel house with the help of relatives to live there with her mother, but the Mayor refused.