Many Syrian citizens, our compatriots, are compelled to emigrate from Syria as a result of the war. However, the majority of those people prefer to leave for Europe or the US, Canada, but never to Armenia. www.aravot.am inquired from the State Migration Service of the Republic of Armenia how many Syrian Armenians had applied to our country for asylum. It turned out that only one family of 5 and one person have applied since last year.
“Fortunately, there is no influx of refugees,” Gagik Yeganyan, the head of the State Migration Service said during a conversation with www.aravot.am, in response to our question. When we asked Mr. Yeganyan surprised “Fortunately?” he said, “Yes, I say fortunately, not because our country is not ready or has no abilities, but it is a human tragedy to leave home and emigrate, that is why we are happy that our compatriots have not left their residences.”
In response to our question whether our country was ready to receive a big number of refugees, whereas hundreds of refugees who had left Azerbaijan for Armenia hadn’t gotten their problems with residence solved and they lived under inhuman conditions, Gagik Yeganyan said, “Granting social goods is conditional on the abilities of the given country, the developed countries offer big packages, poor countries can grant a territory for putting up a tent.” As for which category of countries Armenia was in, Mr. Yeganyan said, “We cannot grant big social packages – we grant premises, besides, people are granted the right to be and reside in Armenia legally, we cannot send those people from here unwillingly and they are granted certain rights in the social, economic and cultural fields, except for politics.”
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Lusine BUDAGHYAN