BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 12. The draft law on
internally displaced persons (IDPs) has been passed in the first
reading at the Parliament of Azerbaijan during the parliament
meeting today, Trend's correspondent reports from the event.
A new draft law has been prepared to improve the legislation on
providing IDPs with housing in the liberated territories, restoring
their property rights, and losing their IDP status.
The draft law was submitted for discussion at today's
parliamentary session.
According to the draft, as a result of the amendments to the
Housing Code, a new "Fund for permanent settlement in the liberated
territories" will be established. The residential areas included in
this fund will be used to resettle internally displaced persons to
their native places and transfer these apartments to their
ownership.
The proposed amendments to the law "On the status of refugees
and IDPs" also specify the cases of loss of IDP status. According
to the new rules, after providing a person with another residential
area in accordance with the dimensions determined for the region in
which he/she lives, instead of his/her previous place of residence,
his/her property rights will be considered fully restored.
According to the draft, persons who do not accept the housing
offered by the state will also lose their status as internally
displaced persons.
The document also clarifies the period of application of social
protection measures. Thus, the 3-year grace period provided for in
the current legislation will be calculated from the date on which
the person loses the status of an internally displaced person or
refuses the offered housing.
In addition, the proposed amendment to the law "On social
protection of internally displaced persons and persons considered
equal to them" updates the mechanism for resettlement of internally
displaced persons.
According to the new approach, the state's obligation will be
considered fulfilled by offering a citizen a place to live.
The amendments are said to serve to ensure a balance between the
housing rights of internally displaced persons and the legitimate
interests of third parties.
After discussions, the draft law was put to a vote and adopted
in the first reading.
