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SYRIAN ARMENIANS IN ARMENIA: HOME AWAY FROM HOME?
The Economist
Dec 12 2013
Dec 12th 2013, 17:27 by G.E. | TBILISSI
IT IS a tragedy of catastrophic proportions. The war in Syria has
uprooted 40% of the population. Some 6.5m Syrians have sought refuge
in other parts of the country; about 2.2m people have fled abroad.
More are leaving every day.
Neighbouring countries, such as Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt,
already host millions of displaced people from earlier crises in the
region, and struggle to cope with the newcomers. Humanitarian agencies
have raised only a fraction of the funds required to help those in
need. It is a precarious, and potentially dangerous, situation.
Syrian Armenians, at least, may have another option. Armenia sees
itself as the "homeland" for Armenians worldwide. The government says
that Syrian Armenians who go to Armenia are therefore not refugees
in need of protection, but members of the diaspora coming home. Most
governments of countries that host Syrian refugees yearn for the day
they will leave. The authorities in Yerevan, in contrast, would like
Syrian Armenians to stay.
A small Armenian settlement has existed in Syria for centuries,
centered on Aleppo. The sanctuary it offered to people fleeing the
Armenian genocide in 1915 greatly increased its numbers. Over the
past few years, this onetime refuge has become a source of flight. As
Robert Fisk wrote recently in The Independent, a British daily, 65
Syrian Armenians have been killed since the war began in Syria, and
over 100 kidnapped. Religious fanatics have also destroyed Armenian
orthodox churches.
The Armenian government estimates that up to 80,000 Syrian Armenians
lived in Syria prior to the current war. 12,000 or so are now living as
refugees in Lebanon. Approximately 11,000 Syrian Armenians have moved
to Armenia. And another 10,000 or so more have sought asylum elsewhere.
Azerbaijan has accused Armenia of deliberately resettling Syrian
Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, a charge that Yerevan denies. Either
way, the numbers allegedly involved-200 or so-are relatively small.
The vast majority of Syrian Armenians in Armenia live in Yerevan. The
Armenian government eases their integration by granting them
citizenship and allowing access to healthcare and education. Emotional
ties to Armenia and a common language are further attractions, even
if most new arrivals are seeing their homeland for the first time.
Such help only goes so far. Roughly half of those who arrived have
been able to get by on their own resources. Some have found jobs or
set up businesses, despite the high level of unemployment in Armenia.
Yet others arrive with little to their name, in need of shelter,
food and clothing. A number of organisations provide temporary
accommodation. The government would like to build apartment blocks
to provide housing on a permanent basis. But that may take money it
doesn't have.
Will more Syrian Armenians head to Armenia? That depends on the
situation inside Syria, and the quality of life of Syrian refugees in
Lebanon. For now, both look grim. Approximately 120 more people fly to
Yerevan each week from Lebanon. Moreover, many of the Syrian Armenians
in Armenia have subsisted on their savings so far. Those are likely
to run out at some stage, increasing the need for humanitarian support.
Like Azerbaijan and Georgia, Armenia is used to dealing with displaced
people. The war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh
in the early 1990s drove up to 1m people from their homes. More than
two decades later, many displaced people in both countries continue
to live in poor conditions.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2013/12/syrian-armenians-armenia
The Economist
Dec 12 2013
Dec 12th 2013, 17:27 by G.E. | TBILISSI
IT IS a tragedy of catastrophic proportions. The war in Syria has
uprooted 40% of the population. Some 6.5m Syrians have sought refuge
in other parts of the country; about 2.2m people have fled abroad.
More are leaving every day.
Neighbouring countries, such as Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt,
already host millions of displaced people from earlier crises in the
region, and struggle to cope with the newcomers. Humanitarian agencies
have raised only a fraction of the funds required to help those in
need. It is a precarious, and potentially dangerous, situation.
Syrian Armenians, at least, may have another option. Armenia sees
itself as the "homeland" for Armenians worldwide. The government says
that Syrian Armenians who go to Armenia are therefore not refugees
in need of protection, but members of the diaspora coming home. Most
governments of countries that host Syrian refugees yearn for the day
they will leave. The authorities in Yerevan, in contrast, would like
Syrian Armenians to stay.
A small Armenian settlement has existed in Syria for centuries,
centered on Aleppo. The sanctuary it offered to people fleeing the
Armenian genocide in 1915 greatly increased its numbers. Over the
past few years, this onetime refuge has become a source of flight. As
Robert Fisk wrote recently in The Independent, a British daily, 65
Syrian Armenians have been killed since the war began in Syria, and
over 100 kidnapped. Religious fanatics have also destroyed Armenian
orthodox churches.
The Armenian government estimates that up to 80,000 Syrian Armenians
lived in Syria prior to the current war. 12,000 or so are now living as
refugees in Lebanon. Approximately 11,000 Syrian Armenians have moved
to Armenia. And another 10,000 or so more have sought asylum elsewhere.
Azerbaijan has accused Armenia of deliberately resettling Syrian
Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, a charge that Yerevan denies. Either
way, the numbers allegedly involved-200 or so-are relatively small.
The vast majority of Syrian Armenians in Armenia live in Yerevan. The
Armenian government eases their integration by granting them
citizenship and allowing access to healthcare and education. Emotional
ties to Armenia and a common language are further attractions, even
if most new arrivals are seeing their homeland for the first time.
Such help only goes so far. Roughly half of those who arrived have
been able to get by on their own resources. Some have found jobs or
set up businesses, despite the high level of unemployment in Armenia.
Yet others arrive with little to their name, in need of shelter,
food and clothing. A number of organisations provide temporary
accommodation. The government would like to build apartment blocks
to provide housing on a permanent basis. But that may take money it
doesn't have.
Will more Syrian Armenians head to Armenia? That depends on the
situation inside Syria, and the quality of life of Syrian refugees in
Lebanon. For now, both look grim. Approximately 120 more people fly to
Yerevan each week from Lebanon. Moreover, many of the Syrian Armenians
in Armenia have subsisted on their savings so far. Those are likely
to run out at some stage, increasing the need for humanitarian support.
Like Azerbaijan and Georgia, Armenia is used to dealing with displaced
people. The war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh
in the early 1990s drove up to 1m people from their homes. More than
two decades later, many displaced people in both countries continue
to live in poor conditions.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2013/12/syrian-armenians-armenia