Benefits to settlers will continue until they return to their lands

Migration to Azerbaijan's liberated territories has been ongoing for over a year. Former internally displaced persons (IDPs) are being relocated to certain villages in the Fuzuli, Zangilan, and Lachin regions. Reports suggest that the city of Shusha and other areas will witness migration starting from next year.

Azerbaijan has allocated social payments for IDPs, providing them with 60 Manats per month for food expenses, along with utility discounts. There are indications that the funds earmarked for food expenses may see gradual reductions. An anonymous IDP from the Lachin district, still residing in a Baku hostel, expressed uncertainty about when he would return to his homeland, stating, "While migration has begun in some places, we are still waiting. They say it will happen quickly. I am still in a hostel, and nothing has changed for me. Why should they reduce my support in such circumstances? What use will 60 Manats have for me later?"

According to the State Committee for Refugees and IDPs, more than 2,700 former IDPs have returned to cities like Lachin, Fuzuli, Agali in Zangilan, Talish, and Zabukh villages in Lachin since July 2022. The goal is to relocate 34,500 families to the liberated territories by the end of 2026.

The Ministry of Finance, as reported by Turan, assures that support measures for the social protection of IDPs will continue until their complete return to their native lands. They are outlined in the "I State Program on the Great Return to the Liberated Territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan" for the years 2022-2026. The medium-term plan involves creating conditions for sustainable settlement in these areas.

Economist Natig Jafarli, in an interview with Radio Azadlig,  highlights the potential for serious dissatisfaction among IDPs if social payments are terminated before migration is substantially complete. He argues that these payments are already quite low and suggests extending the principle of social justice to benefit a wider population. Removing limitations, particularly in utility subsidies, would promote fairness across all segments of society.

In the early 1990s, conflict with Armenia led to the occupation of the Karabakh region and seven surrounding Azerbaijani regions, displacing  of thousands of people. In 2020, Baku regained control of these territories, thanks to an agreement involving Azerbaijan, Russia, and Armenia. Russian servicemen were deployed to the Lachin corridor and the Karabakh contact line.

On September 19-20 of the current year, Baku declared "local anti-terrorist measures" in Karabakh, which Yerevan labeled as "ethnic cleansing" and "aggression." Karabakh separatists subsequently agreed to Baku's terms, leading to the migration of the population from Karabakh to Armenia. On September 28, the unrecognized organization announced it would cease its activities.