It was with deep sadness that I learnt this morning of the passing of my old friend and inspiration, Kofi Annan. On behalf of myself and the European Commission, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to his wife Nane and his entire family.

Today, the world mourns a great leader and humanitarian but celebrates a life full of courage, empathy and remarkable public service. He devoted his life to making the world a more peaceful and united place. He fought to end suffering and injustices across the world and helped to rebuild bridges where they had been destroyed. I am honoured to have seen this first-hand on many occasions throughout the many years we worked together.

His achievements as UN Secretary-General were rightly recognised with the Nobel Peace Prize and many other accolades throughout his life. But the greatest recognition we can give Kofi Annan is to keep his legacy and his spirit alive. It has never been more important than in today’s world.

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The situation for Chechens in Russia

17 August 2018

EASO publishes a Country of Origin Information (COI) report on the situation for Chechens in the Russian Federation.

The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) has published a Country of Origin Information (COI) Report entitled ‘The situation for Chechens in Russia’. The report provides an overview of the situation of Chechens living in Russia, outside of the North Caucasus. 

The report examines a variety of sources and focuses on different topics such as legal requirements, the criminal justice system, socio-economic circumstances, and the role of the authorities, together with closer examination of the situation for a number of specific groups of people, the report presents an up-to-date account of the current situation for Chechens living in Russia.   

The report gives an overview of the main topics relevant for asylum authorities in Europe. A general overview of the Chechen communities in Russia outside of the North Caucasus region is provided, including the size and location of the communities and specific information on the largest communities. Legal requirements relating to procedures for renewing internal passports, obtaining external passports, and registering for residence is included in the report from both a procedural and a practical perspective, in order to highlight potential disparities between legislation and practice. 

The housing, education, work, and health care situation for Chechens is also examined. Each topic is intersected with residence registration, how the system works in practice in Russia, and how specifically the access for Chechens is in each area.

A number of  sub-demographic profiles are also presented in the report, namely on women, LGBT persons, children, Chechens eligible for military service, and human rights activists and dissidents. The reception of Chechens returnees is also examined in a separate chapter.

Lastly, the ccriminal justice system is discussed through topics such as identity checks, criminal cases against Chechens, legal remedies, and access to lawyers, among other matters. Included is also a summary of available information regarding Chechen authorities’ potential information exchange with Russian federal authorities, as well as the role of the Chechen community in providing information to the Chechen authorities and the Chechen authorities’ cooperation with the federal authorities.

The report was co-drafted by Country of Origin Information (COI) specialists from the COI units and asylum offices in the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and the Netherlands in accordance with the EASO COI Report Methodology. The report was reviewed by COI Specialists from Austria, Belgium, Estonia, France, and Poland

Any further information may be obtained from the European Asylum Support Office by contacting press@easo.europa.eu