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Human rights council questions legitimacy of camp for immigrants

Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights questions why the camp is under EMERCOM's supervision when people in it are subject to deportation

MOSCOW, August 7 (Itar-Tass) - The Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights under the Russian president questions the legitimacy of the tent encampment for illegal immigrants waiting for deportation, opened in eastern Moscow.

“There are no legal grounds for the existence of this camp,” Council’s member Yevgeny Bobrov told a news conference on Wednesday. “They say it is under the supervision of the Ministry for Emergency Situations, although people subject to administrative expulsion (from Russia) are sent there,” he said.

Alexander Kulikovsky from the Board of Public Supervisors said for his part that there was no management leadership in the camp. According to him, “there is no hot water, no soap, no toothpaste and toothbrushes, no hygiene items in the camp”. “People have been there for already seven days, but they cannot use soap,” he said. Besides, Kulikovsky says lawyers are not allowed in the tent encampment, and no parcels are accepted.

Meanwhile, the Moscow’s social protection department has improved the condition of women and children awaiting deportation in the Kanatchikovo temporary detention centre. According to Council member Yelizaveta Glinka (known also as Doctor Liza), police are guarding the perimeter of the building. On the whole she assessed the conditions at the centre as “suitable”. Earlier a Vietnamese woman with a 12-month-old child was transferred to the centre from the tent camp.

According to the press service of the Moscow police, Vietnamese nationals earlier accommodated at temporary detention centers are returning to the tent camp for labor migrants awaiting deportation.

Deputy chairman of the public council at the Moscow Department of the Russian Interior Ministry Anton Tsvetkov said foreign nationals were kept in comfortable conditions. He said in particular, that on August 5 human rights activists delivered there humanitarian aid - two tons of rice, noodles and kissel to vary their meals. They also brought more than 50 cooling fans, antibacterial means, bed linen, stationery and personal hygiene products.