Armenian citizenship undesirable for many citizens
By Mushvig Mehdiyev
Armenians still prefer to resolve their problems by emigration, a national catastrophe of the post-Soviet country.
Non-stop outflow of people triggered by political and economic factors threatens to turn Armenia into a desert island in the nearest future.
The most recent data by the National Statistical Service says about 22,000 people renounced their Armenia citizenship over last year. Meanwhile more than 47,000 citizens permanently left Armenia in 2014, surpassing the same number in 2013 by 7,000.
"The Armenian leadership hope that the crisis in Russia will force Armenian migrants to return to homeland and it will, in turn, reduce the number of emigrating citizens. But all has gone vice versa and now the emigration is gaining momentum," reported Haykanak Zhamanak, a Yerevan-based newspaper.
The official data claims that 330,000 citizens have left Armenia over the 7 years of tenure of incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan. However, the real number reaches around 380,000, according to unofficial data.
Russia is the top destination for the Armenian emigrants. Russia attracts much more Armenians due to its short distance and increasing demand for workforce. Armenian migrants in the northern land are key players in the South Caucasus country's economy, since their remittances compose 21 percent of GDP.
The U.S., France, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus are the other countries to face massive inflow of Armenians.
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 the citizens to apply for asylums in Belgium, France, Netherlands, Germany and other European countries.
The influential financial organizations including the Fitch Ratings, Moody's, World Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development have lowered Armenia's already low economic indicators in recent years. These indicators reflect the worst ever economic situation in Armenia over the last years, according to experts.
Ruben Hakobyan, Head of the Heritage Parliamentary Faction, has peculiarly portrayed the surging emigration in Armenia, saying: "Emigration is knocking almost on every door in our country."
Emigration in Armenia is ironically called a "suitcase referendum", where Sargsyan has again lost, believe the experts.
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