Protection of the Rights of Refugees, Internally Displaced Persons and Migrants

One of the core directions of activities of the Ombudsman is protection of the rights and freedoms of refugees, former internally displaced persons (IDPs) and similarly classified persons, as well as migrants.

Improving the living conditions of former IDPs as one of the vulnerable groups of the population, the effective organization of their social protection, their return to newly established settlements in cities and districts in which they are registered, and other similar issues are the center of the attention of the Ombudsman.

In order to ensure the adaptation of former IDPs returning to their native lands to new living conditions and meet the financial needs of their families, the issues of employment of individual entrepreneurship, the allocation of non-residential facilities for use, and the consideration of the business projects they have designed are focused on.

The Ombudsman works effectively with relevant state agencies, foreign counterparts, and international organizations to protect the rights and freedoms of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers and prevent unregulated migration.

Educational activities are carried out in cooperation with the Country offices of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Office in Azerbaijan.

In order to legalize foreigners' stay in Azerbaijan, measures for processing various migration documents, as well as the social protection of persons who leave the country and their family members as a result of armed conflict, are carried out.

The Ombudsman continues to cooperate with the State Migration Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan with regard to informing foreigners arriving in the country of the essence of the human rights and freedoms provisions stipulated in the relevant regulatory and legal documents and quickly addressing the problems faced by them.

The National Preventive Group of the Ombudsman carries out monitoring visits to the Immigration Detention Centers for Irregular Migrants of the State Migration Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan; the treatment of foreigners and stateless persons, their conditions of detention, the organization of healthcare and sanitary services, nutrition and material support, and the situation of ensuring their rights are examined; and detainees are confidentially interviewed and their applications are investigated.

Representative of the Ombudsman is represented in the Working Group on Statelessness Issues, coordinated by the State Migration Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan.