Renunciation of citizenship widespread among Armenians
By Mushvig Mehdiyev
The number of citizens who have renounced their Armenian citizenship has increased significantly over the past two years, according to local media in Yerevan.
The number of cases involving individuals' renunciation of citizenship increased four fold since 2012, confirmed local Azatutyun radio.
Police data shows that when only 550 Armenians renounced their citizenship in 2012, about 2,180 did it in 2014, underscoring a profound malaise within Armenia.
Police has argued that the jump has to do with Russia's encouraging legislature changes towards Armenians to abandon their nationality in order to attain full Russian citizenship.
Police added that under the Russian Cooperation program nearly 6,000 Armenian citizens managed to settle in Russia.
Meanwhile, another data shed more light to the widespread desire among Armenians to leave their motherland.
Nearly 5,242 Armenians applied for political asylum in 44 most prosperous countries across the world in 2014. Foreign countries have so far granted the request of a reported 220 Armenians, according to the United Nations data, wrote the Yerevan-based Haykanak Zhamanak newspaper
"Over the past two years, more than 10,000 Armenian citizens have applied for political asylum in the mentioned countries, according to the UN data," Zhamanak said.
Kathy Verselen, an expert from the Belgian External Affair Ministry's Migration Office, said tough economic circumstances were the major drive behind the massive outflows from Armenia, urging citizens to apply for asylums in Belgium, France, Netherlands, Germany and other European countries.
The recent official data published by Armenia's National Statistical Service revealed that 330,000 citizens have left the country over the 7 years of tenure of incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan.
Unofficial data have that number at 380,000.
Hraparak, a local newspaper, wrote that Gurgen Egiazaryan, former Deputy Head of National Security Service and former lawmaker, has applied for Russian citizenship, viewing it as a way of escaping life in Armenia.
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