REQUESTS FOR CONSULTATION


Meskhetian-Georgian Project

CSMHI has been approached by the Georgian Ministry of Accommodation and Refugees and the Department of Psychology at Tbilisi State University to assist in designing programs to facilitate the repatriation of ethnic Meskhetians to Georgia. Below is a brief description of the situation and its challenges.

During World War II, over 115,000 Meskhetians were exiled from the Soviet Republic of Georgia to Central Asia, as part of Stalin's policy toward "unreliable" ethnic groups. Today, many of the survivors and their descendants are seeking to return to Georgia, their ancestral home. The Georgian Ministry of Accommodation and Refugees and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have discussed undertaking a process of Meskhetian repatriation over the next 12 years. Careful planning is required because this process involves not only "real-world" economic, political, social, and legal issues, but also serious psychological challenges.

The perceptions and expectations of Meskhetians who want to return to Georgia and those of the indigenous population who will be their neighbors need to be understood and taken into account in the repatriation planning process. Since there are currently many serious ethnic problems in Georgia, every effort should be made not to create or inflame new ethnic conflicts in this part of the world. A type of "preventive medicine" should be applied to promote a smooth process of repatriation for the Meskhetians and peaceful coexistence between them and their new neighbors.

Today, there are about 300,000 Meskhetians, most living in the Northern Caucasus (Krasnodar region, Russian Federation) and Azerbaijan, many of whom seek to return to Georgia. The Meskhetians as a group have been exiled since Stalin times, and thus over 50 years have passed since they left Georgia. Although some 700 Meskhetians have already returned, planning a larger scale return of Meskhetians to Georgia is a very complex and sensitive undertaking, given the country's present economical difficulties and the continuing plight of 300,000 IDPs from the Abkhazian and South Ossetian conflicts. It is possible that many Meskhetians will want to settle in Meskheti, along the Turkish border where they originally lived. This area is now populated 46% by ethnic Armenians and 48% by ethnic Georgians. Promoting peaceful repatriation for Meskhetians in Georgia involves addressing their relationships not only with Georgians but also with Armenians and other groups. In particular, there is a potential for tensions between ethnic Armenians and Meskhetians who speak Turkish, because of the historical grievances between Turkey and Armenia.

CSMHI has drafted an initial proposal to assess the situation by interviewing Georgians, Meskhetians now living in Georgia, Meskhetian NGO representatives, Georgian government representatives, and others. Out of the assessment process would come recommendations for ways to promote a smooth repatriation. We are currently awaiting decisions by the Georgian government as to when, how, and if they wish to proceed with this planning process.

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