ABOUT FIFTY ARMENIAN REFUGEE FAMILIES FROM AZERBAIJAN TO BE PROVIDED WITH HOUSING THIS YEAR

ARKA
Sep 3, 2009

YEREVAN, September 3, /ARKA/. About fifty Armenian refugee families
from Azerbaijan will be provided with housing before the end of this
year, Gagik Yeganian, chief of the Migration and Refugees Department
of the Territorial Ministry, said Wednesday.

Speaking at a news conference he said the government has
revised its approach to solution of Azerbaijani refugees’ housing
problem. According to him, no more housing certificates will be given
to them to buy houses.

Now, under a new government decision, this problem will be solved
by allowing refugees living in hostels to privatize the space. This
year this will be allowed to refugees living in hostels on Teryan
and Moldovakan streets in Yerevan.

Gagik Yeganian said the government has allocated this year to this
end 815 million Drams, but added that about 1000 refugee families
need to improve their housing conditions.

According to official figures, over 360,000 Armenian refugees arrived
in Armenia from Azerbaijan in 1988-1992; another 140,000 ethnic
Armenians living in Azerbaijan found refuge in other former Soviet
republics. As of now 80,000 refugees have received Armenian citizenship
upon reaching legal age. According to international organizations’
data, another 120,000 ethnic Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan were
granted other countries’ citizenship.