21 OUT OF 147 ASYLUM SEEKERS IN PAST 15 YEARS GRANTED STATUS OF REFUGEE

Noyan Tapan
Feb 13, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The Asylum Seeker Department of
the Migration Agency of the RA Ministry of Territorial Governance
received 289 applications from foreign citizens in 2007, including 271
applications for provisional asylum and 18 applications for status
of refugee. NT correspondent was informed by the deputy head of the
department Ruzanna Petrosian that all provisional asylum seekers are
citizens of Iraq, who were given the right of asylum for one year. Only
one out of those seeking status of refugee was granted this status.

R. Petrosian said that the entry of asylum seekers in Armenia started
in 1993: until now 21 out of 147 asylum seekers were granted status
of refugee.

Citizens of Iraq, Iran and Pakistan are the majority of those who
apply to the agency with the request to receive status of refugee. The
examination of concrete cases shows that these people leave places
of permanent residence because of hard socioeconomic conditions,
civil wars, military conflicts and Armenia is mainly chosen as a
transit country for moving to the West later.

According to R. Petrosian, asylum seekers live in a special dwelling
set up in 2000 – to undergo medical examination and document checks
there in a one-month period. Then they live in temporary dwellings
before the end of the examination of applications on refugee
status. R. Petrosian said that asylum seekers receive a certificate
of refugee status seeker, one-time pecuniary aid of 10 thousand drams
(about 33 USD), free legal and translation services.