Armenian society urges authorities to stop emigration

Representatives of the Armenian society, concerned about the continuing emigration from the country, sent a letter to Ovik Abramyan, the Speaker of the Parliament of Armenia, and to Tigran Sarkisyan, the Prime Minister of Armenia, urging the Armenian authorities to take measures to reduce emigration, which is developing into a "national disaster".

As public activists stated at the press conference in Yerevan on July 1, the Parliament of Armenia should start discussions on this issue and take necessary measures to stop emigration from the country.

According to Levon Ananyan, the chairman of the Union of Writers of Armenia, emigration from Armenia took place almost in all times, and, in particular, after the collapse of the Soviet Union; however, the process had never reached such a threatening volume. Herewith, the writer notes that the very large-scale emigration of population is observed in the near-border villages.

Mr Ananyan reported that recently about 100 young people left an Armenian village and went to Siberia. "It is very unlikely that any of them come back here. If they have families, they will transport them also to new places," stressed Mr Ananyan.

According to the economist Tatul Manaseryan, the head of the research centre "Alternative", the emigration from Armenia is caused primarily by social conditions in the country. However, he drew attention also to the economic consequences, to which relocation leads. In particular, the economist stressed that the state, preparing specialists starting from the school, spends large amounts for the education, but in the end it turns out that it "presents experts to another state".

In turn, the ecologist Karine Danielyan said that, according to opinion polls, more than half of Yerevan's residents want to leave the country. The ecologist believes that, apart from the main causes of emigration, such as socio-economic and moral-psychological atmosphere, the certain programmes of other states contribute to immigration.

According to the National Statistics Service, in 2010, 12,000 persons emigrated from Armenia. However, experts consider that the real number of migrants is much higher and comprises about 70,000 persons.