Russia’s occupation of Crimea has caused about 100,000
people to flee the territory - twice as many as had been thought - according to
new figures compiled by a Ukrainian charity.
The number of fugitives
has jumped in the last two months because of "worsening repression".
From the moment that
Russian troops fanned out across Crimea and seized the region from Ukraine in
March 2014, those who were unwilling to accept the Kremlin's rule began to
leave. Most settled elsewhere in Ukraine, including the capital, Kiev.
New evidence suggests
this exodus was significantly larger than had been thought. About 21,000 people
from Crimea are officially registered in Ukraine as "internally
displaced", but many more are known to be undocumented.
The total number of
fugitives from Crimea was probably between 50,000 and 60,000, according to
the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, a Geneva-based group.
But Tamila Tasheva, the co-founder and coordinator of Crimea SOS, a Ukrainian charity, said the real
figure was as high as 100,000. "There are more and more people leaving
Crimea as the repression becomes worse," she said. "Our offices are
full of requests and applications for help for people and their children."
The new estimate is
based on data disclosed by Ukraine's authorities. Between January 2015 and
April this year, there was a net movement of 73,100 people out of Crimea and into the adjacent region of Ukraine, according to the
National Border Guard Service.
That period does not
include the first nine months of Russia's occupation, nor the renewed outflow
that has occurred since April. Hence Ms Tasheva places the real total of
fugitives at around 100,000.
As for why this is
taking place, campaigners point to Russia's escalating campaign against
dissent. Arrests and unexplained disappearances have become routine in Crimea.
No-one is regarded with greater suspicion than the Tatar minority, a
230,000-strong community viewed as the original inhabitants of the territory.
In 1944, the Tatars
were deported from Crimea and resettled in Soviet Central Asia. They lived in exile
until the 1980s, when Mikhail Gorbachev allowed them to return. Having suffered
so grievously at the hands of the Kremlin, Tatars are presumed to oppose the
return of Russian rule.
Alim, a 17-year-old
Tatar, is one of the fugitives from Crimea. Along with his family, he left for
the safety of Kiev a year ago. "It was uncomfortable being in Crimea - I
was afraid to say something wrong," he explained. "I was studying in
a Ukrainian school and they converted it into a Russian school with the Russian
language."
Alim added: "I was
afraid because I had pro-Ukrainian views. The Russian security forces were everywhere. If
they hear you saying something wrong then, I don't know, there could be a bad
reaction."
Alim, who did not wish his full name to be disclosed,
said that he was afraid to return. "Most of the people I know moved
here [to Kiev] after the annexation - not just Tatars but Ukrainians as well. I
miss Crimea, but I'm not going to go back."
The evidence suggests
that the pace of departures is quickening again. Last November, the Kiev office
of Crimea SOS received only 14 requests for help from displaced people. The
following month, December 2015, it recorded no requests at all.
But in April this year,
by contrast, 183 people contacted the charity to ask for assistance. Another 97
did so in May. "There is an atmosphere of fear in Crimea - that's why
citizens feel forced to leave," said Ms Tasheva.
Last year, Russia
prevented the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) from
sending a human rights assessment mission to Crimea. The group gathered
evidence elsewhere in Ukraine and interviewed people remotely inside Crimea.
They concluded that Russian rule had "dramatically impacted" on the
"human rights and fundamental freedoms" of all residents of Crimea,
particularly those "who were opposed to the annexation".
However, Russia points
to Ukraine's own behaviour to explain any hardships. Last November, Ukraine's government cut off Crimea's electricity, leaving the region in darkness for over two weeks.
Russia has since been able to guarantee Crimea's power supply.
But Ms Tasheva pointed
out that Russia, as the occupying power, has legal responsibility for the
welfare of the region's people. "Of course we might name Ukraine as
responsible because they don't make life easier for the people of Crimea,"
she said. "But Russia is ultimately responsible because they are occupying
the territory."
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