EASO Country of Origin Information Report Russian Federation The
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European Asylum Support Office EASO Country of Origin Information Report Russian Federation The situation for Chechens in Russia August 2018 SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION European Asylum Support Office EASO Country of Origin Information Report Russian Federation The situation for Chechens in Russia August 2018 Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union. Freephone number (*): 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (*) Certain mobile telephone operators do not allow access to 00800 numbers or these calls may be billed. More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu). ISBN: 978-92-9494-906-6 doi: 10.2847/531379 © European Asylum Support Office 2018 Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged, unless otherwise stated. For third-party materials reproduced in this publication, reference is made to the copyrights statements of the respective third parties. Cover photo: © wastesoul/Gubin Yury, Taganskaya metro station, iStock, 6 May 2016 (https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/taganskaya-metro-station-gm521305474-91309099). EASO COI REPORT RUSSIAN FEDERATION: THE SITUATION FOR CHECHENS IN RUSSIA — 3 Acknowledgements EASO acknowledges as the co-drafters of this report: Czech Republic, Department for Asylum and Migration Policy, International and European Affairs Unit; Lithuania, Asylum Division of Migration Department; The Netherlands, Immigration and Naturalisation Service, Office for Country Information and Language Analysis (OCILA) The following departments reviewed the report, together with EASO: Austria, Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum, Country of Origin Information Department Belgium, Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons, Cedoca (Center for Documentation and Research) Estonia, Police and Border Guard Board, Intelligence Management and Investigation Department, Intelligence Management Bureau France, Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless persons (OFPRA), Information, Documentation and Research Division Poland, Office for Foreigners, Department for Refugee Procedures, Country of Origin Information Unit 4 — EASO COI REPORT RUSSIAN FEDERATION: THE SITUATION FOR CHECHENS IN RUSSIA Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................... 3 Contents .................................................................................................................................... 4 Disclaimer .................................................................................................................................. 6 Glossary and Abbreviations ....................................................................................................... 7 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 8 Methodology ......................................................................................................................... 8 Structure and use of this report ............................................................................................ 8 Map.......................................................................................................................................... 10 1. General overview of the Chechen community in Russia (outside North Caucasus) ........... 11 1.1 Demographic facts ........................................................................................................ 11 1.2 General features of the larger Chechen communities .................................................. 13 1.2.1 Moscow.................................................................................................................. 13 1.2.2 St Petersburg ......................................................................................................... 14 1.2.3 Volgograd ............................................................................................................... 15 2. Legal requirements .............................................................................................................. 17 2.1 Residence registration .................................................................................................. 17 2.1.1 Procedure .............................................................................................................. 17 2.1.2 Practice .................................................................................................................. 18 2.2 Internal passport ........................................................................................................... 20 2.2.1 Procedure .............................................................................................................. 20 2.2.2 Practice .................................................................................................................. 22 2.3 External passport .......................................................................................................... 22 2.3.1 Procedure .............................................................................................................. 22 2.3.2 Practice .................................................................................................................. 25 3. Socio-economic circumstances ........................................................................................... 26 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 26 3.2 Housing ......................................................................................................................... 27 3.3 Education ...................................................................................................................... 27 3.4 Labour market ............................................................................................................... 28 3.5 Health care .................................................................................................................... 30 4. Specific profiles .................................................................................................................... 31 4.1 Women .......................................................................................................................... 31 4.1.1 Harmful traditional practices and Kadyrov’s policies on women .......................... 31 4.1.2 Individual cases of persecution of women ............................................................ 34 4.2 LGBT .............................................................................................................................. 35 4.2.1 Children of LGBT parents ....................................................................................... 37 4.3 Chechens eligible for military service ........................................................................... 37 4.4 Dissenters and human rights activists........................................................................... 38 4.4.1 Dissenters .............................................................................................................. 38 5. Criminal justice system ........................................................................................................ 42 5.1 Treatment by police ...................................................................................................... 42 5.2 Penal system ................................................................................................................. 43 5.3 Criminal cases against Chechens ................................................................................... 43 5.4 Legal remedies .............................................................................................................. 44 6. Reach of Chechen authorities outside Chechnya ................................................................ 46 6.1 Influence on the Chechen diasporas ............................................................................. 46 6.1.1 Establishment of representations for the Head of the Chechen Republic in other Russian regions ............................................................................................................... 46 6.1.2 Kadyrov's method of collective responsibility ....................................................... 46 EASO COI REPORT RUSSIAN FEDERATION: THE SITUATION FOR CHECHENS IN RUSSIA — 5 6.2 Chechen law enforcement’s reach to other parts of the Russian Federation .............. 48 6.2.1 Disregard of federal jurisdiction and impunity of Chechen law enforcement (Kadyrovtsy) .................................................................................................................... 48 6.2.2 Tracing and transfer of wanted persons from other Russian administrative entities to the Chechen Republic ................................................................................................. 50 7. Reception of Chechens returnees ....................................................................................... 52 7.1 Legal aspects ................................................................................................................. 52 7.2 Treatment of returnees by authorities ......................................................................... 52 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................