THE RA DOES NOT PROMOTE MIGRATION

A1+
[06:45 pm] 04 April, 2006

The Danish Council of the Refugees (DCR) and the OSCE Office initiated
a two – day symposium which started today. Two representatives from
the OSCE Office were invited to the first session, Vladimir Pryakhin,
the Head of the office was among them. But they weren’t in the hall.

The head of the DCR International Board Anre Vagen said that they
already supported 130 public organizations in connection with the
refugees’ return and consultation. In the review of the participants
it was mentioned that the majority of the immigrants to the European
countries are from urban places, whereas the inhabitants of rural
territories mainly leave for Russia to find a temporary job. The
experts of the council state, “The migration level is surprisingly
higher in areas which are densely populated with refugees.”

About 300 thousand people with higher or average education emigrated
from Armenia to the European Council member – countries from 1989
to 2001.

According to the data of the Council 1 milliard people emigrated from
the country in 2001 which is equal to 26.6% of the whole population. By
the way, the authorities of Denmark made a law on “the return to the
country” according to which each adult coming back is granted 3500
EURO and one – year medical insurance.

Some people were given 5 years’ or life assistance.

The DCR is of negative opinion about Armenia, “The RA cooperation
with the Governments of the EC countries on the assistance of
reintegration or return to Armenia program is limited or does not
exist.” It was mentioned that mainly the “irregular immigrants were
exiled to Armenia.”

So far our country has made contracts of back acceptance with Denmark,
Switzerland, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Ukraine, Russia, Sweden
and Romania.

According to the DCR survey the migration is determined by the
political destabilization, wars and natural calamities. Today our
citizens are insured against none of them in comparison with the
1989 data.

The participants of the DCR polling assured that if they earned 350
EURO in Armenia they would never leave their country. Their average
income abroad is about 500 EURO a month.