Azerbaijan sets new rules for burying dead migrants

Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis (Parliament) has approved amendments to the Migration Code, introducing new rules regarding the release of foreigners and stateless individuals who are forcibly placed in detention centres for illegal migrants.

According to the amendments, the period of detention for foreigners and stateless persons in these centres will begin from the moment they are accepted, in line with the decision to place them there, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

The question of extending the detention period or releasing these individuals must be resolved before the expiration of the period stated in the decision. 

The head of the centre will be required to notify the relevant executive authority, either verbally or in writing, at least one working day before the expiration of the individual's placement period. Except in cases where an extension is granted by court order, decisions regarding the extension of detention or release will be made by the relevant executive authority.

Furthermore, any decision to extend the placement or release of individuals held in the centre must be carried out immediately upon its arrival at the facility.

The amendments also outline procedures to follow in the event of the death of a foreigner or stateless person forcibly placed in a local detention centre.

In cases of severe illness or death of a migrant, the head of the centre is required to promptly inform the deceased’s close relatives. In the event of death, the relevant diplomatic consulates or missions of the deceased's home country, or the country where they permanently resided, must also be notified, along with national or international organisations that have assumed guardianship, as well as the appropriate state authorities.

After conducting forensic examination and other necessary procedures as prescribed by the Criminal Code, the deceased's body will be handed over to their relatives. If no request for body transfer is received within seven days of the death, the body will be buried at the expense of state funds.

However, if a request for prolonged storage of the body is made within the specified period, the body will be stored in the morgue of the relevant executive authority at the expense of the requesting party.

By Aghakazim Guliyev