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Chechnya's Refhgees Within North Akiner, Shirin References Chechnya's Refhgees Within North Akiner, Shirin. 1983. Islamic People ofthe Soviet Union. London: Kegan Paul International. Caucasus: Reality and Problems Avtorkhanov, Abdurahman. 1992. "The Chechens and the Ingush during the So- Eugene V. Kritski viet Period and its Antecedents." In The North Caucasus Barrier: The Russian Ad- vance townrds the Muslim World, edited by Marie Broxup Bennigsen, 146-94. New In the last few years, the North Cauca- refugees, their expectations, orienta- York: St. Martin's Press. sus has become an area in which sig- tions, and the extant psychological Bennigsen Broxup, Marie. 1992a. "Introduc- nificant migratory activity has taken climate. Since the author has not had tion: Russia and the North Caucasus." In place. Its numerous regions, which an opportunity to pursue a micro-level The North Caucasus Barrier: The Russian Ad- field research among Chechen mi- vance towards the Muslim World, edited by vary with respect to demographic, eco- Marie Bennigsen Broxup, 1-17. New nomic and political characteristics, grants, this article will be based on the York: St. Martin's Press. have been either sources or destina- first approach. Bennigsen Broxup, Marie. 1992b. "Mer the tions of migratory flows, or in some Certain difficulties were encoun- Putsch, 1991." In The North Caucasus Bar- cases, both. Since 1990, migration has tered in gathering and interpreting the rier: The Russian Advance towards the Mus- played an important role in the region, collected data. To begin with, there is lim World, edited by Marie Bennigsen sometimes merely reflecting certain much confusion over the terms used in Broxup, 219-40. New York: St. Martin's different sources of information to re- Press. ethnopolitical conflicts within the re- fer to people who were forced to leave Furnival, J. S. 1967. Netherlands India: A Study gion and sometimes contributing to of Plural Economy. Amsterdam: B.M. Is- them. In fact, migration provides a link their homes. Most call these persons rael. between those regions where ethnic "refugees" although from the point of Gallagher, James P. 1995. "Crazy with fear, conflicts have fully developed and view of international law, they should Russian army lashes out at civilians." those where such conflicts are still dor- be called "forced migrants." The Fed- America Online, Inc., transmitted by elec- mant but have a potential for flaring. eral Migratory Service (FMS)uses the tronic mail by [email protected] Steady outmigration has occurred in designation of "forced migrants," al- .aol.com on February 12. those regions which have experienced though in its public statements and Gary, John. 1993. "Yeltsin Closes Papers, TV tense interethnic relations and ethnic interviews its employees use the term Show. Moscow Police Crack Down on Suspected Criminals." The GlobeandMail, violence, such as Abkhasia, Ingush- "refugee" as a synonym of "forced October 15. etia, North Ossetia and Chechnya. The migrant." Yet the two are not the same. Caplin, Fred. 1993. "Moscow Cracks Downon migratory flow caused by the recent If refugees agrees to settle in areas des- Outsiders,Police Take Advantage of State war in the Chechen Republic is now ignated for them, such as mid-Russia, of Emergency to Drive Many Ethnics from considered to be of most influence Siberia and the Urals, they receive the City." The Boston Globe, October 14. upon social and political stability legal status automatically. But to ob- McGarry, John, and Brendan O'Leary, eds.. within the region and its parts. tain a status of a "forced migrant" in 1993. The Politics of Ethnic Conflict Regula- Two approaches can be used to areas not designated for refugee settle- tion. London: Routledge. describe the current phenomenon of ment one needs to obtain domicile reg- Ryan, Stephen. 1990. Ethnic Conflict and Inter- mass-scale refugee flow from istration ("propiska"). Yet, the only national Regulation. Dartmouth: Alder- shot. Chechnya. The first is a macro- legal grounds for getting "propiska" are having close relatives or owning a Simon, Gerhard. 1991. Nationalism and Policy approach, based on a statistical de- Toward the Nationalities in the Swiet Union: scription of the number of migrants, house or a flat. Since most refugees do From Tofalitarian Dictatorship to Post-Sta- directions of their flows, and on an not meet these requirements, they linist Society, translated by Karen Forster analysis of humanitarian activity by were not able to obtain a legal status. and Oswald Forster. Boulder: Westview governmental and nongovernmental Consequently, official figures of Press. organizations. The second involves a "forced migrants" are considerably Smith, M. G. 1971. "Some Developments in micro-level reconstruction of social- lower than those with which non-offi- the Analytic Study of Pluralism." In Plu- cial institutionsoperate. Thus there is a ralism in Africa, edited by Leo Kuper and psychological aspects of migration, M .G. Smith. Berkeley: University of Cali- including subjective factors (exterior gap between the numbers of refugees fornia Press. and interior) of social adaptation of who exist de facto and de jure. We York, Geoffrey. 1995a. "Yeltsin pledges re- should also note that a data base on form of military." The Globeand Mail, Feb- forced migration from the Chechen ruary 17, Al, A12. Dr. Eugene V. Kritski is the director of North Republic is still incomplete. This cre- York, Geoffrey. 1995b. "Cities of Russia cruel Caucasian Centreofthelnstitutefor Social and ates special obstacles, such as difficul- to southerners." The Globe and Mail, Janu- Political Research of the Russian Academy of ties in getting and verifying ary 30, Al, A10. o. Sciences, Moscow. information. In this case, a researcher Refuge, Vol. 14, No. 10 (March 1995) 13 risks basing an analysis upon false fig- istered by the local branch of FMS. etia, we should take into account the ures and pretentious opinions. Since the beginning of the war until specificity of the Ingushtians' ethnic Chronological coincidence of the phe- February 1,1995,3,000 more persons and political history. nomenon in question and its analysis have been registered. According to Ingushetia is the most recently es- produces the so-called "aberration of FMS officials, only one-fourth of the tablished republic in North Caucasus. closeness." Moreover, the data under refugees applied for official status. Its territory covers about 2,000 square consideration are often inconsistent Many chose not to register because km., with the population of about and rely on different categories, de- there is no advantage in doing so. The 215,000 people. Ethnic Ingushtians pending on the source. one-time emergency aid they receive is constitute the majority of the popula- This article is based on the informa- extremely low, equal to a minimum tion in this republic. tion taken from documents published monthly earning (25,000 roubles or $6). Since the eruption of a violent con- by governmental and non-govern- Almost all applicants were granted the flict between Ingushtians and Osse- mental organizations and by mass status. tians over the Prigorodny district of media. We also interviewed FMS offi- In 1994, the Krasnodar district (hi) Vladikavkaz, Ingushetia received cials. These interviews were con- branch of FMS registered 929 people 60,000 migrants, 50,000 of whom are ducted by telephone. from Chechnya as "forced migrants," still living in the republic. Both Ingush- Since the beginning of the crisis, ap- constituting 98% of all those who ap- tians and Chechens belong to the proximately 140,000 of Chechnya's in- plied for the status. There was a signifi- "vainach" ethnolinguistic community habitants were forced to leave their cant upsurge of migratory activity in and their languages are mutually com- homes for North Caucasian d$stricts January 1995 (see Table 1). prehensible. Both Chechens and and republics, and about 70,000 for Inguishes identify themselves as other regions of Russia. These refugees Table 1: "vainach-speakers." They are also could be placed in one of three catego- Number of Forced Migrants linked by ties of kinship. In both ries. Those in the first and smalldst cat- Registered in the Chechnya and Ingushetia the clan egory, consisting of some 40,000 Krasnodar District (taip) system is still alive. And it is im- people, have been displaced inteirnally Period # of Registrants portant to point out that some clans within the territory of Chechnyh. The 1994 January 149 consist of both Ingush and Chechen majority of refugees can be fowd in February 181 families. Furthermore, the border be- tween Chechnya and Ingushetia is still the second category of thosd who March 108 found shelter in Daghestan and not fully drawn. In 1934, the Chechen April - Ingushetia. The third category, i$ com- and the Ingush autonomous districts posed of those who have moved to the May 73 were amalgamated, and in 1936, the Krasnodar and Stavropol districts. June 50 new district's status was changed to Migration from the Chechnva re- July 85 the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Re- gion had preceded the current crisis. August 98 public. In February 1944, thousands of According to an estimate by FMS's September 47 Chechens and Ingushes were deported Director, at least 400,000 peopld have October 24 to Central Asia and Siberia, but after migrated from Chechnya since 1991, November 50 the official rehabilitation in 1957, the with only half of them having received December 64 Republic of Checheno-Ingushetia was the official status of a 'forced migrant.' 1994 January 2,280 re-established. It was only in 1992 that FMS, placed in charged of forced mi- Chechnya separated from the Repub- grants, has created a system of regional According to FMS officials, the real lic and declared its independence. Fol- operative groups which are to be coor- number of refugees who arrived in lowing the declaration, the Ingush dinated centrally. These groups are re- January of 1995 is five times higher.
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