Georgia: Treatment of the Ossetians in Georgia and state protection available to them
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 April 1998 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | GGA29255.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Georgia: Treatment of the Ossetians in Georgia and state protection available to them, 1 April 1998, GGA29255.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac1e90.html [accessed 25 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Little information on the situation of Ossetians in Georgia could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
However, according to a May 1996 Human Rights Watch/Helsinki report, approximately 100,000 ethnic Ossetians fled Georgia and South Ossetia during the Georgian crackdown following South Ossetia's demand for independence in the early 1990s.
A June 1995 report published by The Forced Migration Projects of the Open Society Institute, quoting UNHCR statistics, states that there were "30,000 international displaced persons from South Ossetia in Georgia and 37,000 South Ossetians across the border in the Russian republic of North Ossetia" by the end of 1995.
Country Reports 1997 state that
The South Ossetian separatists defied attempts to repatriate ethnic Georgians to South Ossetia. For demographic reasons, they also pressed for the return of all Ossetian refugees to South Ossetia rather than to their original homes in other Georgian regions. The Government publicly recognized the right of Ossetian refugees to return to their homes in Georgia, but opposition persists on the local level, especially over the return of illegally occupied homes.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Country Reports for Human Rights Practices 1997. 1998. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office. (IRB electronic databases)
Human Rights Watch/Helsinki. May 1996. The Ingush-Ossetian Conflict in the Prigorodnyi Region. New York: Human Rights Watch. (REFWORLD)
Open Society Institute (OSI). June 1995. Repatriation in Georgia. New York: Open Society Institute. (REFWORLD)
Additional Sources Consulted
Critique: Review of the Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. For the years 1994-1996.
Electronic sources: LEXIS/NEXIS (1997-98), FBIS (1997-98), IRB databases (1997-98), Internet 1997-98), REFWORLD (1994-1998).
International Helsinki Federation. Annual Report 1997. 1997.
Resource Centre Country files: Georgia. 1997-1998.
