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RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR: SHUTTING DOWN IMMIGRATION PROGRAM WON~RT STOP ARMENIANS FROM MIGRATING TO RUSSIA
By Gayane Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow
10.10.12 | 11:11
Russia has answered the Armenian prime minister's criticism of its
immigration program "Compatriots", which is believed to encourage
outward migration of Armenia's population. Its ambassador in Yerevan
said the emigration of Armenians to Russia would not stop even if
the controversial program had been shut down in Armenia as sought by
Armenian officials.
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan addressed concerns over the program that
offers "favorable" conditions for Armenians emigrating to Russia during
a question-and-answer session of government officials in parliament
last week.
He said that "the organization of such activities in the Republic
of Armenia is unacceptable". He said the government of Armenia hoped
the format would not be applicable in respect to Armenia.
"The issue has been discussed with Russian counterparts at all
levels, including during inter-governmental committee meetings, and
the Russian government knows that we are against the implementation
of the program in its present format," stressed Sargsyan.
Reacting to the senior Armenian official's comments different Russian
media reminded the Armenian authorities that they should take care
of creating conditions in their own country instead of "prohibiting"
emigration through administrative means.
Russia's ambassador to Armenia Vyacheslav Kovalenko also addressed
the matter at a press conference in Yerevan on Tuesday.
"No one makes Armenians go to Russia, they go there themselves,"
the diplomat said.
"Is it about a representation of the migration service? Is anyone
forcing Armenians to go to Russia? Do you think people will stop
going there if you shut down the [migration service] representation?"
queried the ambassador.
"People leave Armenia because they have certain objective reasons
for that and not because of the Federal Migration Service," he added.
Still last year, Kovalenko said that the immigration issue was
speculated on by some forces in Armenia for the purpose of gaining
"political capital".
The program assisting voluntary immigration, through which only in
2011 as many as 2,000 Armenians settled down in Russia (the data for
this year have not been published yet), has been operating since 2006.
The government of Russia adopted it as a means of solving demographic
problems in some of the country's sparsely populated areas.
Ambassador Kovalenko wonders why no one is alarmed about the number
of Armenians applying for the United States Diversity Lottery,
which is better known as the Green Card. More than 5,000 people,
not including their family members, have left the country through
this lottery since 2007.
"And during this period less than 5,000 people, including family
members, went to Russia [for permanent residence] under the Federal
Migration Service's program. What is all fuss about?" said the
Russian ambassador.
Still, many experts find the Russian program to be more dangerous than
the American Green Card as it is more available to the population and
besides encourages emigration by allocating money to beneficiaries
in the amount of $4,000 to $8,000. Not only does the program provide
additional benefits, such as compensation for travel expenses, but
also guarantees the acquisition of Russian citizenship within up to
six months.
"This is a planned action to encourage Armenians to leave their
country that the government has turned a blind eye to for years,"
Zhirayr Sefilyan, a Karabakh war veteran and currently leader of
the hardline opposition movement, Sardarapat , told ArmeniaNow. He
reminded that protests against the Russian program were held near
the government building still two years ago.
But Ambassador Kovalenko still assures the Armenian public that
the only goal of the program is to prevent "illegal immigration"
and labor trafficking.
"This is a legal form of work and that's what the representation
deals with," he emphasized.
By Gayane Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow
10.10.12 | 11:11
Russia has answered the Armenian prime minister's criticism of its
immigration program "Compatriots", which is believed to encourage
outward migration of Armenia's population. Its ambassador in Yerevan
said the emigration of Armenians to Russia would not stop even if
the controversial program had been shut down in Armenia as sought by
Armenian officials.
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan addressed concerns over the program that
offers "favorable" conditions for Armenians emigrating to Russia during
a question-and-answer session of government officials in parliament
last week.
He said that "the organization of such activities in the Republic
of Armenia is unacceptable". He said the government of Armenia hoped
the format would not be applicable in respect to Armenia.
"The issue has been discussed with Russian counterparts at all
levels, including during inter-governmental committee meetings, and
the Russian government knows that we are against the implementation
of the program in its present format," stressed Sargsyan.
Reacting to the senior Armenian official's comments different Russian
media reminded the Armenian authorities that they should take care
of creating conditions in their own country instead of "prohibiting"
emigration through administrative means.
Russia's ambassador to Armenia Vyacheslav Kovalenko also addressed
the matter at a press conference in Yerevan on Tuesday.
"No one makes Armenians go to Russia, they go there themselves,"
the diplomat said.
"Is it about a representation of the migration service? Is anyone
forcing Armenians to go to Russia? Do you think people will stop
going there if you shut down the [migration service] representation?"
queried the ambassador.
"People leave Armenia because they have certain objective reasons
for that and not because of the Federal Migration Service," he added.
Still last year, Kovalenko said that the immigration issue was
speculated on by some forces in Armenia for the purpose of gaining
"political capital".
The program assisting voluntary immigration, through which only in
2011 as many as 2,000 Armenians settled down in Russia (the data for
this year have not been published yet), has been operating since 2006.
The government of Russia adopted it as a means of solving demographic
problems in some of the country's sparsely populated areas.
Ambassador Kovalenko wonders why no one is alarmed about the number
of Armenians applying for the United States Diversity Lottery,
which is better known as the Green Card. More than 5,000 people,
not including their family members, have left the country through
this lottery since 2007.
"And during this period less than 5,000 people, including family
members, went to Russia [for permanent residence] under the Federal
Migration Service's program. What is all fuss about?" said the
Russian ambassador.
Still, many experts find the Russian program to be more dangerous than
the American Green Card as it is more available to the population and
besides encourages emigration by allocating money to beneficiaries
in the amount of $4,000 to $8,000. Not only does the program provide
additional benefits, such as compensation for travel expenses, but
also guarantees the acquisition of Russian citizenship within up to
six months.
"This is a planned action to encourage Armenians to leave their
country that the government has turned a blind eye to for years,"
Zhirayr Sefilyan, a Karabakh war veteran and currently leader of
the hardline opposition movement, Sardarapat , told ArmeniaNow. He
reminded that protests against the Russian program were held near
the government building still two years ago.
But Ambassador Kovalenko still assures the Armenian public that
the only goal of the program is to prevent "illegal immigration"
and labor trafficking.
"This is a legal form of work and that's what the representation
deals with," he emphasized.