Great Return: Wave of returnees arrives in Beylik village of Lachin

Another group of former internally displaced persons has arrived in the village of Beylik in the Lachin district.

According to local media, a total of 153 people (38 families) are being resettled in their native village at this stage.

9:09

A new group of former internally displaced persons (IDPs) has returned to the village of Beylik in Azerbaijan’s Lachin district as part of the country’s ongoing resettlement efforts under the Great Return program.

A total of 153 individuals, comprising 38 families, departed for their native village, where new infrastructure and housing have been built, Caliber.Az reports, citing domestic media.

These families had spent decades in temporary accommodations such as dormitories, sanatoriums, children’s camps, unfinished residential buildings, and administrative premises.

Their return was made possible following what Azerbaijani authorities describe as a decisive military victory in the 2020 Patriotic War, led by President Ilham Aliyev, who also serves as Supreme Commander-in-Chief. This victory, officials say, has allowed displaced citizens to come home voluntarily and safely for the first time in 30 years.

The returning residents expressed heartfelt gratitude to President Aliyev and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva for the comprehensive support shown by the state. They also voiced appreciation for the Azerbaijani Armed Forces' role in liberating the territories, prayed for the souls of the fallen soldiers (Shehids), and extended well-wishes to wounded veterans (ghazis).

Farhad Gasanov, one of the returnees, expressed his overwhelming joy at the opportunity to go back to his birthplace.

“Praise be to the Almighty — we are going home. I want to thank our president for this. We achieved it thanks to his will and the strength of our army. May God rest the souls of our martyrs and grant health to our veterans,” he said ahead of the group’s departure.

As of now, more than 43,000 people are living in the regions of Karabakh and East Zangezur. This includes both repatriated citizens and professionals working on reconstruction and public services in the area, ranging from healthcare and education to tourism, culture, industry, and energy.

The resettlement is being implemented in stages within the framework of the Great Return initiative, which aims to restore normal life in the formerly occupied territories and ensure a voluntary and dignified return of Azerbaijani citizens to their ancestral homes.

On May 27, President Ilham Aliyev personally visited Beylik to inaugurate the newly rebuilt village. During the ceremony, modern housing and infrastructure for 90 families were unveiled under the “First State Program on the Great Return to the Liberated Territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan.”

Large-scale reconstruction efforts continue across the Lachin district, including in Beylik village, as part of the broader initiative to revitalise the region.

By Tamilla Hasanova