1,198 REFUGEES GRANTED ARMENIAN CITIZENSHIP IN 2006

YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, NOYAN TAPAN. Until now 600 refugee families have
received apartment purchase certificates by the state program
"Provision of Apartments to Persons Displaced from Azerbaijan in
1988-1992" implemented since 2005. Gagik Eganian, Head of the
Migration Agency of the RA Ministry of Territorial Governance, said at
the January 31 press conference that the program envisages to provide
3,300 refugee families with permanent housing. According to him, this
year 819 mln drams (about 2.2 mln USD) will be allocated from the
state budget for the program’s implementation in Abovian. The program
will also be implemented in Yerevan in 2008.

He said that in 2006, 70 refugee families received apartments with
resources allocated by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Armenia Office, and 149 families – with resources of the Norwegian
Refugee Council.

The department head said that 1,198 refugees were granted Armenian
citizenship in 2006. Until now 75 thousand refugees have been granted
Armenian citizenship.