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Outflow from Armenia gains new momentum after Russia's new decisions

30 October 2014 11:02 (UTC+04:00)
Outflow from Armenia gains new momentum after Russia's new decisions

By Mushvig Mehdiyev

Emigration from Armenia is incessantly growing. About 500,000 residents have permanently left the country so far.

The latest move by Russia to simplify the employment terms for Armenian immigrants has posed a new emigration threat to the post-Soviet state.

Russian government plans to apply new quotas for the placement of labor migrants in Russia. Analysts and political experts view it as the first glimpse of Armenia's joint life with the EEU. Russia intends to reduce the quotas for the migrants working in agricultural, transport and construction fields. It can deliver the hardest blow on Armenia since its emigrants work mainly in the mentioned fields.

Russia explains the new measures with its plans to employ its own residents. It means that the guest workers in the northern giant's territory need either to bribe or apply for getting Russian citizenship. Emigration from Armenia can gain a new momentum to enter into new scale after application of Russia's new decision. The latest statistical data revealed that about 10,000 Armenian citizens were granted Russian citizenship in January to September of this year. The figure is predicted to rise and reach a catastrophic level in near future.

Armenian Statistical Service's latest data reported that around 113,000 citizens left the country in the first nine months of this year, while about 60,000 of them rejected to come back. Modern emigration trend in the former Soviet state is expected to be the worst of all times in Armenia's history.

Russia, at the same time, plans to facilitate terms of working for the immigrant workers from Armenia. The government views it as the main argument to support the EEU integration. The analysts hold different stance on the issue. They believe it is a real threat for the country as it will allow the jobless people to get easily employed in Russia.

The Armenian authorities are not keen to confess to the new emigration threat. In other words, decreasing number of citizens means decreasing responsibilities of the government. No state program has recently been reported in the country amid the massive outflow proving the government's inactivity towards the problem.

Russia is facing a serious demographic problem and Moscow openly announced its intention to attract compatriots from the CIS states. Experts claim that Russia needs about 300,000 migrants each year to fill its huge demographic gap.

Russia prefers the emigrants with a desire of applying for Russian citizenship. The government has adopted several decisions in this regard, for instance facilitated granting of citizenship for the foreign workers upon cancellation of citizenship of their native countries.

Latest report of the Sociometer Sociological Center exposed the real social hurdle in the country characterized by 42 percent of malnourished and 32 percent of poor people. The average daily food intake is 142 calories in Armenia being extremely below the internationally recognized norm of 2,232 calories intake per day.

All these factors encourage Armenians to leave their country. "East or West, home is best" saying has lost its impact to sparkle the South Caucasus nation's patriotism feelings. These days, hunger and anger are the most widespread feelings among Armenians.

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