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REPATRIATION REMEDY? THE OTHERS WILL COME WITHOUT BEING INVITED
By Sargis Lazarian
http://hetq.am/eng/opinion/6148/repatriation-remedy?-the-others-will-come-without-being-invited.html
15:59, November 4, 2011
There's an interesting contradiction evident not only between state
policy in Armenia and the reality that exists regarding emigration
and immigration, but also within declared state policy as well.
On the one hand, Armenian and international organizations, the mass
media, and lately state agencies and their representatives, even
including the president of Armenia, have been raising alarm bells
about emigration from Armenia.
They publish demographic data and organize debates on the looming
threat.
On the other hand, only certain state agencies and their
representatives have been inviting Armenians from the diaspora to
relocate to Armenia - to set up residences and businesses.
In a word, they are trying to organize immigration; repatriation.
It seems as if they want to overcome the threat of emigration with
immigration. I have the feeling that state agencies, not being able
to stem the tide of exodus from Armenia, are trying to get diaspora
Armenians to immigrate by making a number of offers and thus fill
the void left by those leaving the country.
There are contradictory numbers regarding the exodus from Armenia. But
what is farcical here is that even the smallest numbers will not
alter the depth of the tragedy.
For example, at one meeting where the exodus issue was being discussed,
it was stated that from 100,000 to 120,000 people left Armenia in
2010. One of the participants exploded in anger, rose to his feet,
and said that this statistic was a lie. The man proclaimed that only
40,000 people had emigrated from Armenia in 2010.
If we accept the official figures that Armenia's population is
3,200,000, then basic arithmetic shows that only 1.28% of the
population left Armenia in one year. Use of the word only is correct
in this case and not the previous.
Only 1.28% of the country's population emigrated in one year. However,
for the year 2011, we must use 3,160,000 and not 3,200,000 as our
basis number - that is if 40,000 left Armenia in 2010.
In this context, it remains a mystery why some continue to present
small numbers or believe in their validity.
Even an exodus of 1.28% of the population in just one year is a
tragedy and doesn't change the wider problem.
Let us return to the issue of immigration.
First, I doubt if 40,000 Armenians from the diaspora have immigrated
to Armenia in the past twenty years since re-independence. Most of the
repatriates have been Armenians from Iran and their numbers doesn't
exceed 20,000 at best.
In other words, in the past twenty years the total number of
"repatriates" doesn't even compare with the number of those leaving
in just one year. (Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find any official
data on the number of those immigrating to Armenia)
Secondly, and more importantly, is the following question - Why are
people leaving Armenia?
Why do people born and raised in Armenia, who have gone to school
here, played in the yards, have friends, girlfriends and relatives,
who have fallen in love, who visit the graves of loved ones, why do
they chose to leave Armenia?
If those in charge do not respond to this question and do not think
about removing the underlying motive, not only will we not have any
substantial immigration, but the exodus will continue unabated.
Then too, government officials will have a hard time convincing
diasporic Armenians that their invitations to relocate are sincere.
Preservation of the gene pool in Armenia is an issue of national
security. One of the top priorities of the government must be putting
a halt to the exodus - keeping Armenians in Armenia.
Immigration, i.e. getting Armenians from the diaspora to relocate,
isn't a priority issue in my estimation.
Even if the government was to get serious about organizing a new
wave of repatriation, given the reality on the ground and existing
conditions, such efforts would remain mere sloganeering and a pipedream
and would contribute nothing positive to Armenia.
The first priority to be tackled remains keeping Armenians living in
Armenia in Armenia and creating conditions for a dignified life.
If this happens, the others will come without any invitation.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
By Sargis Lazarian
http://hetq.am/eng/opinion/6148/repatriation-remedy?-the-others-will-come-without-being-invited.html
15:59, November 4, 2011
There's an interesting contradiction evident not only between state
policy in Armenia and the reality that exists regarding emigration
and immigration, but also within declared state policy as well.
On the one hand, Armenian and international organizations, the mass
media, and lately state agencies and their representatives, even
including the president of Armenia, have been raising alarm bells
about emigration from Armenia.
They publish demographic data and organize debates on the looming
threat.
On the other hand, only certain state agencies and their
representatives have been inviting Armenians from the diaspora to
relocate to Armenia - to set up residences and businesses.
In a word, they are trying to organize immigration; repatriation.
It seems as if they want to overcome the threat of emigration with
immigration. I have the feeling that state agencies, not being able
to stem the tide of exodus from Armenia, are trying to get diaspora
Armenians to immigrate by making a number of offers and thus fill
the void left by those leaving the country.
There are contradictory numbers regarding the exodus from Armenia. But
what is farcical here is that even the smallest numbers will not
alter the depth of the tragedy.
For example, at one meeting where the exodus issue was being discussed,
it was stated that from 100,000 to 120,000 people left Armenia in
2010. One of the participants exploded in anger, rose to his feet,
and said that this statistic was a lie. The man proclaimed that only
40,000 people had emigrated from Armenia in 2010.
If we accept the official figures that Armenia's population is
3,200,000, then basic arithmetic shows that only 1.28% of the
population left Armenia in one year. Use of the word only is correct
in this case and not the previous.
Only 1.28% of the country's population emigrated in one year. However,
for the year 2011, we must use 3,160,000 and not 3,200,000 as our
basis number - that is if 40,000 left Armenia in 2010.
In this context, it remains a mystery why some continue to present
small numbers or believe in their validity.
Even an exodus of 1.28% of the population in just one year is a
tragedy and doesn't change the wider problem.
Let us return to the issue of immigration.
First, I doubt if 40,000 Armenians from the diaspora have immigrated
to Armenia in the past twenty years since re-independence. Most of the
repatriates have been Armenians from Iran and their numbers doesn't
exceed 20,000 at best.
In other words, in the past twenty years the total number of
"repatriates" doesn't even compare with the number of those leaving
in just one year. (Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find any official
data on the number of those immigrating to Armenia)
Secondly, and more importantly, is the following question - Why are
people leaving Armenia?
Why do people born and raised in Armenia, who have gone to school
here, played in the yards, have friends, girlfriends and relatives,
who have fallen in love, who visit the graves of loved ones, why do
they chose to leave Armenia?
If those in charge do not respond to this question and do not think
about removing the underlying motive, not only will we not have any
substantial immigration, but the exodus will continue unabated.
Then too, government officials will have a hard time convincing
diasporic Armenians that their invitations to relocate are sincere.
Preservation of the gene pool in Armenia is an issue of national
security. One of the top priorities of the government must be putting
a halt to the exodus - keeping Armenians in Armenia.
Immigration, i.e. getting Armenians from the diaspora to relocate,
isn't a priority issue in my estimation.
Even if the government was to get serious about organizing a new
wave of repatriation, given the reality on the ground and existing
conditions, such efforts would remain mere sloganeering and a pipedream
and would contribute nothing positive to Armenia.
The first priority to be tackled remains keeping Armenians living in
Armenia in Armenia and creating conditions for a dignified life.
If this happens, the others will come without any invitation.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress