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.
