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MIGRATION CONCERNS: DESPITE NEGATIVE ECONOMIC OUTLOOK IN RUSSIA, MOST ARMENIAN MIGRANTS STILL HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE
Society | 03.02.15 | 12:41
Karine Kuyumjyan
By Sara Khojoyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
While the Armenian government introduces Armenia's membership to
the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) from the positive sides only, the
EEU initiator member Russia's economic problems are felt in Armenia
already today.
Last year 200,000 Armenian migrant workers in Russia earned less money,
which is why incoming private remittances from that country decreased
by 10 percent. At the same time, Armenians earning their families'
living in Russia are facing hardships starting from the border,
however, even this factor does not prevent Armenians from leaving
the country.
Last year, for instance, the number of Armenian citizens who left and
never returned was more than 21,000, moreover, besides Yerevan, in all
10 provinces of Armenia a decrease in the population was registered,
National Statistical Service Census and Demography Department head
Karine Kuyumjyan told reporters.
"Minus 21,800 - this is the difference of those who left and returned,
i.e. more people left than returned, but because the natural growth of
the population formed 15,300, the number of the population decreased
by 6,500," Kuyumjyan said.
One of those citizens who left last year and returned this year
is a resident of Yeghegnadzor Hakob Sargsyan who worked at a road
construction company in Moscow, however, because he did not get paid
he could not return.
"They have not paid yet. I found another job for two months, barely
earned the ticket price and the amount of the loan I had and returned,"
Sargsyan told ArmeniaNow, addding that, nevertheless, he cannot find
an alternative equivalent of his Russia job in Armenia.
"I have so many debts that whatever work I do will not make enough to
pay both my debts and my family's living, and my elder son is in the
army, he cannot help me, and now there are five members in my family
to be fed," he explained.
Nevertheless, demographers and migration experts advise migrant
workers in Russia if possible to avoid leaving for Russia in 2015,
because, besides legal problems, with economic problems and ruble's
drastic devaluation economic profits are also under suspicion.
Last year, for instance, individuals transferred $1.5 billion from
Russia to Armenia - $200 million less than in 2013.
"We must wait before Russia's migration policy and economic state
stabilize, however, if people have to leave and they have no
alternative, they must make sure where, what kind of job and under
what conditions they will be doing it," demographer Ruben Yeganyan said
last Friday at a discussion organized by Media Center on the topic of
"the consequences of restrictions of Russian migration legislation
on Armenia."
As a result of changes in the Russian migration legislation in 2014
the entry of 50,000 Armenian citizens to Russia was forbidden for
3-5 years, according to Russia's migration service, another 150,000
Armenian citizens currently residing in Russia are in the 'risk zone'.
http://armenianow.com/society/60293/armenia_migration_problems_demography
From: Baghdasarian
Society | 03.02.15 | 12:41
Karine Kuyumjyan
By Sara Khojoyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
While the Armenian government introduces Armenia's membership to
the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) from the positive sides only, the
EEU initiator member Russia's economic problems are felt in Armenia
already today.
Last year 200,000 Armenian migrant workers in Russia earned less money,
which is why incoming private remittances from that country decreased
by 10 percent. At the same time, Armenians earning their families'
living in Russia are facing hardships starting from the border,
however, even this factor does not prevent Armenians from leaving
the country.
Last year, for instance, the number of Armenian citizens who left and
never returned was more than 21,000, moreover, besides Yerevan, in all
10 provinces of Armenia a decrease in the population was registered,
National Statistical Service Census and Demography Department head
Karine Kuyumjyan told reporters.
"Minus 21,800 - this is the difference of those who left and returned,
i.e. more people left than returned, but because the natural growth of
the population formed 15,300, the number of the population decreased
by 6,500," Kuyumjyan said.
One of those citizens who left last year and returned this year
is a resident of Yeghegnadzor Hakob Sargsyan who worked at a road
construction company in Moscow, however, because he did not get paid
he could not return.
"They have not paid yet. I found another job for two months, barely
earned the ticket price and the amount of the loan I had and returned,"
Sargsyan told ArmeniaNow, addding that, nevertheless, he cannot find
an alternative equivalent of his Russia job in Armenia.
"I have so many debts that whatever work I do will not make enough to
pay both my debts and my family's living, and my elder son is in the
army, he cannot help me, and now there are five members in my family
to be fed," he explained.
Nevertheless, demographers and migration experts advise migrant
workers in Russia if possible to avoid leaving for Russia in 2015,
because, besides legal problems, with economic problems and ruble's
drastic devaluation economic profits are also under suspicion.
Last year, for instance, individuals transferred $1.5 billion from
Russia to Armenia - $200 million less than in 2013.
"We must wait before Russia's migration policy and economic state
stabilize, however, if people have to leave and they have no
alternative, they must make sure where, what kind of job and under
what conditions they will be doing it," demographer Ruben Yeganyan said
last Friday at a discussion organized by Media Center on the topic of
"the consequences of restrictions of Russian migration legislation
on Armenia."
As a result of changes in the Russian migration legislation in 2014
the entry of 50,000 Armenian citizens to Russia was forbidden for
3-5 years, according to Russia's migration service, another 150,000
Armenian citizens currently residing in Russia are in the 'risk zone'.
http://armenianow.com/society/60293/armenia_migration_problems_demography
From: Baghdasarian