Armenia grappling with growing outflow immigration
By Mushvig Mehdiyev
Skyrocketing emigration in Armenia remains a critical problem in the country.
"Emigration in Armenia is knocking almost on every door," the Head of the Armenian parliamentary fraction Heritage, Ruben Hakobyan said on September 8.
Large-scale outflow from the country in search of a better life has turned into something ordinary for the post -Soviet state, which is experiencing tough economic and social situation.
Representatives of four opposition forces -- Prosperous Armenia, Armenian National Congress, ARF Dashnaktsutyun and Heritage -- visited the regions recently to get deeply familiar with the depopulation problem.
"There are numerous problems," Hakobyan added. "Today only one pupil attends school instead of 30 children several years ago."
Head of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D) parliamentary group, Armen Rustamyan said the "emigration cannot be of secondary importance for us and struggling against it has never been a controversial issue."
Rustamyan noted that his party has an emigration prevention program called 'Let us live in our country.'
Emigration in Armenia is increasing year by year, according to official statistics. Regular local and international reports on the issue show migration crisis in Armenia is in a critical condition.
According to a poll conducted by the Armenian chapter of the United Nations Population Fund in 2013, almost 80 percent of young Armenians said they'd leave their country if they get the chance, while 36 percent said they'd leave for good.
Official data shows that 49,600 Armenian citizens left the country with a population of 2.97 million people for better life in 2012, but many locals speculate that the real number could be still higher.
Another survey carried out by the CivilNet organization in 2012 disclosed that 74 percent of the Armenian population preferto leave their country and start a new life far from Armenia.
The growing emigration poses a multi-faced threat to the progress in the country. Social intolerance that the most of the population suffer from pushes Armenians to seek better life abroad.
Empty-handed Armenian government seems unable to prevent the risky emigration.
Armenia's recently gained position (85th) on world competitiveness report. This underlines the unfavorable economic and business atmosphere in the country which is among the key reasons behind the emigration. Furthermore, one third of the population lives in poverty. In this case, Armenian authorities need to inspire the people to live in Armenia by solving social, educational, economic, and health problems, and enforce criminal, corrupt, and unlawful activities.