Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 17, Trend K. Zarbaliyeva /
Azerbaijan is a country with the largest number of domestic migrants, the State Migration Service chairman Arzu Rahimov said today at an event timed to the International Day of Immigrants.
"The number of migrants worldwide is about 200 million people, while in Azerbaijan this figure reaches 1 million. Today in the world every 35th inhabitant of the planet is a migrant, in Azerbaijan - each eighth. If in the world 97-98 percent of migrants are foreign nationals, then in Azerbaijan 70 percent of migrants are domestic migrants, who were forced to leave the occupied [by Armenia] territories," Rahimov said.
According to him, more than 90 percent of migrants who settled in Azerbaijan are Azerbaijani nationals.
"During a year the State Migration Service has received 50,000 applications. More than 11,000 violations of immigration laws have been revealed. Some 8,500 foreigners and stateless persons were expelled from the country, 1,210 of whom were deported by administrative order," he said.
He also said that within 11 months this year, the State Migration Service received over 10,000 appeals relating to the issuance of individual permits for paid labor activity on the territory, and the extension of dates of granted individual permits.
Dec.18 is International Day of Immigrants. On Dec. 18 1990 the UN General Assembly adopted the International Convention for the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.
On Dec. 4, 2000 the UN General Assembly established the International Day of Immigrants, which is annually celebrated on Dec.18. The decision to mark the International Day of Immigrants was made due to the fact that in recent years, the number of immigrants worldwide has increased significantly.
Azerbaijan has ratified the convention on Dec. 11, 1998.