The conference dedicated to UN Migrants Day was held in Baku, Azerbaijan. Amongst the participants were a lot of well-known public figures as well as journalists from foreign media.
Elmira Suleymanova Azerbaijani Human Rights Commissioner gave an exclusive interview to Eurasia Diary on Migration issues.
Eurasia Diary: How do you say importance of this conference?
Elmira Suleymanova: Today is anniversary of International Migration Organization. At the same time, next year will be the first year of Azerbaijan Migration service. I would like to say that we have migrants from different countries, Moreover, there is Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, and we have million refugees and internal displaced people. It is also a very bad problem. However, migrants who live in this country can use all human rights. Human rights policy in Azerbaijan is based on the Universal Human Rights declaration. In Azerbaijan non-discriminative human rights are for everybody. Azerbaijan government give chance to migrants to use fundamental human rights. I would like to say that policy of this country and people’s responsibility is very warm to migrants. The government help them to find place to live, work and learn. All these rights are respected by the state.
Eurasia Diary: How do you see the migrant crisis in Europe?
Elmira Suleymanova: It is tragedy. It is very terrible that migrants have to leave their countries, due to conflicts and other reasons. They get no support from EU states and they suffer from damaging human rights.
Eurasia Diary: Migrants are totally discriminated in some European countries. Someone used them for sexual purposes and refuse to accept them. What can you say about this?
Elmira Suleymanova: Migrants are totally discriminated in all European countries. I think so that we have to hear the message to the UN General Secretary on the 10th December on Human Rights Day claiming that everybody has to try to support human rights and assist people who suffer. This subject is of an honour for each person. All human rights of all people in jurisdiction of the country, including citizens, non-citizens and asylum seekers are protected. We organizing various meetings with them and learn their situation.
It is very important that we have electronic data-base on migrants in our country. Everybody can find where this person is, what he is doing and his living place. People who are interested in contacting and collaborating with them have access to that database. The main goal for all of us is that each migrant feel himself of herself in this country like at home.
By Fakhri Vakilov
