TENT CAMPS FOR REFUGEES FROM CHECHNYA TO BE CLOSED IN INGUSHETIA LATER THAN PLANNED

MOSCOW, March 1 (RIA Novosti) - According to the information of the government of Ingushetia, the tent camps in this Russian republic for forced migrants from neighboring Chechnya will be closed later than it was scheduled. As RIA Novosti was told by deputy chairman of the Ingush government Magomed Markhiyev, so far he cannot name the date when all of refugees from these tent camps will return to Chechnya. Earlier the Ingush authorities named March 1, i.e. today, as such a date.

According to the vice-premier of Ingushetia, at present more than 2,500 forced migrants remain in the tent camps in Ingushetia. This figure was 3,700 as of late February.

The process of returning the refugees is proceeding steadily and exclusively on a voluntary basis, Markhiyev stressed. "No pressure is being exerted on them. Not a single complaint that the residents of the tent camps are coerced by the authorities of the republic to leave the camps has been filed," the Vice-Premeir said.

According to him, the information on allegedly existing facts of forcing the refugees to return to Chechnya are spread by "interested forces." Representatives of such highly interested forces can be found among both the refugees themselves and in the humanitarian organizations, the vice-premier of Ingushetia said.