Azerbaijani authorities get ready to accept another group of citizens from Dagestan

The cancellation of the passage of Azerbaijanis from Kullar is associated with the burden on state bodies caused by the warfare, but the next group of citizens departing to their homeland is expected in the coming week, the Azerbaijani government has stated. Avtandil Mamedli, Director of the Institute of Rights and Freedoms, believes that any suspension of sending citizens to their homeland is unacceptable.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that a temporary accommodation centre (TAC) was set up near the Dagestani village of Kullar for the citizens of Azerbaijan who could not get home because of the borders closed due to coronavirus.

The passage of Azerbaijani citizens from Russia across the land border was temporarily suspended in connection with the military operations in the Karabakh conflict zone, a source from the Azerbaijani Government told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

He has noted that there is no direct link of the suspension with the martial law. The departure of Azerbaijanis from Kullar was cancelled due to the sudden outbreak of hostilities and the increased burden on state bodies. "Now, the issue of resuming the passage of citizens across the border is being discussed, and it is expected that in the coming week another group of 450 people will be passed through," the source has assured.

Mr Mamedli, whose Institute of Rights and Freedoms was founded in Georgia by Azerbaijani political emigrants, believes that military actions should not become an obstacle to the return of Azerbaijani citizens home.

"In the wartime, for security reasons, the entry of foreigners may be restricted. But our own citizens should face no obstacles. The cancellation of departures may worsen the situation in Kullar. Some 400 people still stay in tents there, and 300 more in an improvised camp, while more and more people continue arriving. But it's getting colder, and living in field conditions in autumn is quite uncomfortable," Avtandil Mamedli told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 30, 2020 at 09:57 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.