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Armenia: Forty Percent Of Gallup Poll Respondents Want Out

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  • Armenia: Forty Percent Of Gallup Poll Respondents Want Out

    ARMENIA: FORTY PERCENT OF GALLUP POLL RESPONDENTS WANT OUT

    EurasiaNet.org, NY
    April 4 2013

    Armenia has had various firsts in its history -- from establishing
    Christianity as a state religion to setting up a winery -- but now,
    it has scored the lesser honor of being named in a Gallup poll as
    the post-Soviet country residents are most eager to leave.

    Based on personal interviews with 41,072 people throughout 12 former
    Soviet republics between 2010 and 2012, the survey found that 40
    percent of the Armenian respondents would like to move permanently to
    another country. (The number of respondents was not provided. Online
    data sets reflected numbers only for 2005 and 2006.)

    Moldova, at 32 percent, followed in second place.

    By comparison, Armenia's Caucasus neighbors, Georgia and Azerbaijan,
    were far less inclined to acknowledge their willingness to seek
    greener grass for good -- a mere 14 percent of the respondents in
    both countries. Respondents in Caucasus player Russia expressed the
    same level of wanderlust.

    Armenia long has topped the charts for labor migration; most
    particularly to Russia, but also to Europe and the United States.

    After a brief economic rally, malaise set in for good with the 2009
    international financial crisis. Despite various attempts by the
    government to kickstart the economy, unemployment, according to
    unofficial estimates, remains dizzily high, at well over 50 percent.

    The Gallup survey reflects that trend. Fifty-two percent of the
    respondents polled throughout all 12 countries cited improving
    standards of living as their main reason for wanting to move abroad.

    At 13 percent of those interviewed, securing a better future for
    their children trailed far behind as a reason.

    Armenia is well aware of its migration problem. It recently
    successfully pushed for the closure of a Russian migration program
    that offered applicants cash, citizenship, and accommodation to move
    for work to Russia, the destination of most Armenian migrants.

    The easing of European Union visa rules, anticipated for 2013, though,
    could raise fresh concerns. The EU last month allotted 1 million euros
    (over $1.28 million) to Armenia for a migration program, which, among
    other aims, would further the "prevention of emigration," in the words
    of Armenian Deputy Labor and Social Affairs Minister Araik Petrosian.

    Others, though, pointing at perceptions of rampant corruption within
    the country and scant signs of political change, believe that larger
    issues must first be addressed before more Armenians will agree that,
    east or west, home is best.

    http://www.eurasianet.org/node/66784

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