People from Iran and Lebanon appeal to the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs the most, but the number of appeals from Russia is much higher in comparison to other countries. The High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, Zareh Sinanyan, spoke about this at the government press club. He also said that many Armenians living in the southern regions of Russia wish to return to Armenia, but they have no way of doing so.
According to him, the number of Armenians infected with the coronavirus worldwide is higher than we can imagine, and the highest number of infected Armenians live in Russia. “We were conducting monitoring at one point, but we understood that it was useless because the number is so high and the situation is so unstable to possibly follow the situation in every country. Armenians are living everywhere besides the central African countries, but the virus is widespread.”
Sinanyan said that, as with every other country, Armenia’s capabilities are not unlimited, and the state is trying to help Armenians in Russia who wish to return to Armenia as much as its abilities and resources allow. “There are people who wish to spend quarantine in Armenia, but getting those people to Armenia is one issue, and being prepared to accept such large numbers of people in Armenia is another issue entirely. We do not have any idea of how many hundreds or thousands of people wish to return to Armenia and we do not know whether that number will change in the coming months. Therefore, we are trying to support them in a way that is more realistic.”
He said that he hopes there will be another opportunity soon for Armenians to return from Russia. People who have been left without jobs and money due to the state of emergency declared as a result of the coronavirus outbreak have especially appealed to the commissioner. “Several parliamentary deputies are actively working on this issue. We are trying to find places to stay for them. The issue is more complicated because many Armenians may be infected, but, as far as I understood, Russian hospitals are not treating anyone who is not a citizen of Russia. This is a serious issue and we are trying to help them as much as possible.”
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There is no official data, but Sinanyan said that he believes that the largest number of infected Armenians lived in Iran, but now he believes that they are in Russia.
Approximately 85 percent of Armenians who moved from Syria are renting, but they are not working as a result of the state of emergency, so they have difficulties paying for their rent. “We do not have any programs in place at the moment, but we are working with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs to come up with a solution that will be able to fulfill this demand that will not only be for Syrian-Armenians.”
Sinanyan said that the Step to Home program most likely will not take place this year. Three large conferences were to take place in September, but as a result of the coronavirus, these conferences will take place online.
Nelly Babayan
