IM Migration Service chief: "There is no Deportation Law in Azerbaijan"

These are the departments of migration and registration of foreigners, department for work with citizens and immigration department, analytic section and research center.

Hadiyev stated that the research center allows to probe into illegal immigrants, to check up their documents and to deport them to their countries. MS has competence to pass decision about their deportation.

"Though there is no Deportation law in Azerbaijan yet, MS has the right to deport the foreigner who breaks the law without court’s decision. According to the law, foreign citizens visiting Azerbaijan can stay in our country without registration for 30 days. The person, who stays from 30 days to one year, should appeal to the nearest police department, register there and get registration card. Foreign Ministry should seal up that passport. Those persons that do not have this document are detained and the research the case. There are persons who has visa, but they do not get registration card. In this case that person is fined and noticed to get registration card. This document differs from ours, it is pink and contains all needed information about this person," he said.

Hadiyev said that their registration can be temporary or constant. Those who take temporary registration come to Azerbaijan for 30 days or one year. Those persons are divided into two categories: the persons without citizenship and foreigners.

The foreigners are those who come to Azerbaijani with their national passports and want to stay here. But 99 per cent of the people without citizenship are those who came from former USSR and do not have neither registration here nor in their own countries.

"A lot of Georgian Azerbaijanis passed to our territories in 90s. They came with the passports of Georgia and were not registered here. Nevertheless they cancelled their registration there and bought houses here, work here and even their children go to school in our country. At present they are neither Georgian citizens nor Azerbaijan. These persons are given identification cards and they can function in our country with these documents. Those people are granted with two-year foreign passports. If those persons want, they can raise solicitation after five years to get citizenship. But there are ones who do not want to get citizenship. For example, there are political Iranian emigrants who came to Azerbaijan in 60-70s. Up to now they did not get citizenship and live in Azerbaijan as political emigrants. But now we give them documents of the persons without citizenship," he said.

The chief of the service told that, the department on affairs with citizens gives Azerbaijani citizenship to the persons without citizenship. The persons who are without citizenship or who has constant registration can appeal to this department to get citizenship. The documents are sent to the commission under President's Office.

The immigration department is engaged in finding out the foreigners living without registration and deports them. The department detains those people, checks up and then deports. Shovgu Hadiyev noted that Azerbaijan has an agreement of legal aid with CIS countries. Migration Service has contacts with CIS as well as European countries and Turkey.

"The immigrants of the states that have no cooperation with Azerbaijan cause some problems, as they have no embassy in Azerbaijan," he stated.

The foreigners and persons without citizenship reaching 18, should refer to the Migration Service in order to immigrate to Azerbaijan. They can refer to the Azerbaijani embassies.

"We process their documents, examine and interview them. Immigrant is to present medical certificate confirming that the person is not contracted with AIDS, infections and mental and tuberculosis illness. The person should be answered within 6 months inadmissibility of applications is to be reasoned," he stated.