ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES PROMISE ASYLUM TO LEBANESE ARMENIANS
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JULY 17, ARMENPRESS: Armenian authorities promised today
ethnic Armenians from Lebanon the status of ‘temporarily protected
persons’ if they arrive here and ask for it.
Gagik Yeganian, head of a government-affiliated department on refugees
and migrants, said to Armenpress that Lebanese Armenians can ask the
department for asylum, a status that allows them to carry out social,
economic and cultural activity in Armenia.
The asylum is given for a period of 12 months, but it can be
extended. Yeganian said this procedure is effective also with regard
to ethnic Armenians in Iraq. Since 2003 some 391 Iraqi citizens have
been granted asylum in Armenia, the bulk were Iraqi Armenians.
According to various estimates, Lebanon has some 60,000 strong
Armenian community.