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ARMENIAN MIGRANTS HAVE NO PLACE TO RETURN
Naira Hayrumyan, Political Commentator
Business - 13 January 2015, 12:34
The head of the Russian Federal Migration Service Constantine
Romodanovsky announced that in early 2015 the number of migrant
workers is down by 70% compared with the same period of last year.
This is a huge number and is determined by both tougher migration
legislation and economic problems in Russia, including the devaluation
of the dram, declining investments, construction and other projects.
The citizens of Armenia who worked in Russia for many years are now
waiting. Optimists are waiting until the situation in Russia improves;
pessimists are considering doing something in Armenia.
For the time being, there is no official information on the number
of arrivals and departures from Armenia but the fact that buying
Yerevan-Moscow tickets is easier than return tickets is evidence that
the citizens of Armenia are returning and not intending to leave.
Though on January 2 Armenia became a member of the Eurasian Union,
and the citizens of Armenia can freely leave and work in Russia,
the economic situation in Russia makes export of labor to this
country meaningless.
Encouraging migration to Russia is one of the priorities of the
Armenian government. First, it allows shedding state obligations for
employment on those "drowning", second, push the civil-revolutionary
potential out of the country and, most importantly, receive remittances
which amount to the state budget.
Armenia exports labor and imports almost all consumer goods. And
as long as export exceeds import, Armenia can keep its political
and economic balance. As soon as the export gets closer to import,
the balance will be broken.
Now it is a time when the government may start thinking on how to fill
in the gap of remittances and address the people who will understand
that leaving for Russia is meaningless.
Thousands of people who earned their living while working in Armenia
cannot stay in Armenia jobless and they will first of all make claims
to the government. Does the government have any plan of actions for
this case or is the solution of these problems also delegated to the
Eurasian Commission?
The Armenian society underwent an invisible transformation last year.
The representatives of the Armenian government state with confidence
that there cannot be a revolution in Armenia because Armenians protest
with their suitcases and feet.
However, recently the government has started speaking about this
much lesser seeing the situation in Russia. Perhaps, the government
is trying to understand how the labor migrants will behave, whether
they will rally in front of the government or find another way out.
http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/economy/view/33405#sthash.DuQW0xzW.dpuf
Naira Hayrumyan, Political Commentator
Business - 13 January 2015, 12:34
The head of the Russian Federal Migration Service Constantine
Romodanovsky announced that in early 2015 the number of migrant
workers is down by 70% compared with the same period of last year.
This is a huge number and is determined by both tougher migration
legislation and economic problems in Russia, including the devaluation
of the dram, declining investments, construction and other projects.
The citizens of Armenia who worked in Russia for many years are now
waiting. Optimists are waiting until the situation in Russia improves;
pessimists are considering doing something in Armenia.
For the time being, there is no official information on the number
of arrivals and departures from Armenia but the fact that buying
Yerevan-Moscow tickets is easier than return tickets is evidence that
the citizens of Armenia are returning and not intending to leave.
Though on January 2 Armenia became a member of the Eurasian Union,
and the citizens of Armenia can freely leave and work in Russia,
the economic situation in Russia makes export of labor to this
country meaningless.
Encouraging migration to Russia is one of the priorities of the
Armenian government. First, it allows shedding state obligations for
employment on those "drowning", second, push the civil-revolutionary
potential out of the country and, most importantly, receive remittances
which amount to the state budget.
Armenia exports labor and imports almost all consumer goods. And
as long as export exceeds import, Armenia can keep its political
and economic balance. As soon as the export gets closer to import,
the balance will be broken.
Now it is a time when the government may start thinking on how to fill
in the gap of remittances and address the people who will understand
that leaving for Russia is meaningless.
Thousands of people who earned their living while working in Armenia
cannot stay in Armenia jobless and they will first of all make claims
to the government. Does the government have any plan of actions for
this case or is the solution of these problems also delegated to the
Eurasian Commission?
The Armenian society underwent an invisible transformation last year.
The representatives of the Armenian government state with confidence
that there cannot be a revolution in Armenia because Armenians protest
with their suitcases and feet.
However, recently the government has started speaking about this
much lesser seeing the situation in Russia. Perhaps, the government
is trying to understand how the labor migrants will behave, whether
they will rally in front of the government or find another way out.
http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/economy/view/33405#sthash.DuQW0xzW.dpuf