The German newspaper “Die Welt” has reported that the number of Chechens seeking asylum in Germany is growing.

According to data from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), 2,055 Chechens have asked for asylum in April 2013 alone, and about 1,000 more asked in March 2013.

The newspaper points out that Chechnya has been unstable for 20 years and the situation remains tense, while at the same time the human rights situation in the country is devastating. Civilians are leaving their homes and trying their luck in the European Union because of hopelessness and fear in Chechnya.

German authorities say that there is already a small Chechen diaspora in Germany which numbers about 6,000, but with these new arrivals their numbers are growing day by day. In fact, it is not just in Germany, but other European Union members are receiving high numbers of Chechen asylum seekers as well.

“There is fear like in the Stalin era. Human rights defenders receive regular reports about abductions, torture and extrajudicial punishments. Many crimes remain unsolved, but in contrast, there are countless fabricated criminal cases. A lot of cases show that Chechens are required to donate from their salaries or compensation for their destroyed houses to certain funds,” said Svetlana Gannushkina, head of the Russian rights organization “Civic Assistance”.

The Russian rights activist also says that the situation facing Chechen women in particular has worsened. “Each young woman may be forced to marry a man from Kadyrov’s environment,” said Gannushkina.

*Text was written by Waynakh Online and edited by Michael Capobianco