Over the past 30 years, refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Azerbaijan have been the focus of comprehensive state care, with significant strides made in improving their living conditions, strengthening social protection measures, and safeguarding human rights.
According to Operative Information Center-OMM, citing AZERTAC, this statement was made by Fuad Huseynov, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and IDPs, during a joint meeting of the Milli Majlis (National Assembly) committees on Labor and Social Policy, Human Rights, and Legal Policy and State Building.
Huseynov reported that under the implementation of two state programs, 121 new settlements and residential complexes equipped with all necessary social and technical infrastructure have been constructed across 30 cities and districts in Azerbaijan. These efforts have provided housing for 62,000 IDP families, benefiting over 300,000 citizens. Furthermore, state-led initiatives have successfully expanded employment opportunities and reduced poverty levels among this demographic to a minimum.
Significant legislative progress has also been achieved. Unlike refugees, there is no binding international convention regarding internally displaced persons; the primary document is the "Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement." Azerbaijan has proactively adopted national legislation, including the laws "On the Status of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (Internally Displaced Persons)" and "On Social Protection of Internally Displaced Persons and Persons Equated to Them." This policy, initiated by National Leader Heydar Aliyev, is being consistently advanced and enriched by his successor, President Ilham Aliyev.
The issue of IDPs remains a top priority for the Azerbaijani government, particularly as the country continues the large-scale "Great Return" program, aimed at rebuilding liberated territories and facilitating the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of former IDPs to their ancestral lands in Garabagh and East Zangezur.
