18 January 2006, 18:49
Chechen refugees rush for Europe
The exact number of refugees from Chechnya in Europe is unknown since they are shown in relevant statistics as "Russian citizens." It is, however, known that 95% of refugees from Russia are Chechens. Out of all the countries around the world, the biggest number of those seeking asylum in Europe was from Russia in 2003 and 2004. Thus, there are currently 100,000 to 150,000 Chechens estimated to be in Europe.
Two years ago, Mr Kadyrov said that those who refused to come back to Chechnya were "criminals and terrorists," according to Prague Watchdog.