Chechen MIA to toughen control over issuance of foreign passports to young people

In Chechnya, upon application for travelling passports, young people under 30 years old are being subjected to thorough verification. This was reported by a staff member of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) for Chechnya.

"These measures are being taken in order to prevent the departure of young people to other countries for their further transportation to Syria. We have already recorded a lot of cases when young people are recruited on the Internet for taking part in the combat actions in Syria and on other places as members of the ISIL. Moreover, in some cases, potential militants are even paid money for application for travelling passports," a staff member of the Chechen MIA has told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. The MIA's staff member did not specify the exact number of cases of recruitment.

According to the MIA's official, first of all, law enforcers question parents of a young person, who applies for a travelling passport. "If the parents are not aware of the fact that their son or daughter has applied for a travelling passport, then it can be treated as a reason for a detailed consideration of the issue. Besides, the law enforcers also question the applicant and ask him or her about the need for a travelling passport and about the place he or she intends to visit. Furthermore, the law enforcers also question friends and acquaintances of the young people and ask them whether there were any talks about the applicant's intention to leave 'for jihad' or join militants of the 'Islamic State'," the MIA's official has said.

Various sources, including the Russian FSB, have confirmed that militants from Russia are fighting for the "Islamic State", says the document prepared by the "Caucasian Knot": "Caucasians in the ranks of IS (ISIL)".

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.