In Armenia, migrants from Karabakh experience problems with job and housing

Residents of Nagorno-Karabakh continue to arrive in Armenia, despite the process of returning internally displaced persons (IDPs). Some refugees stay with their relatives, while others have to rent housing at inflated prices. A little help from the authorities and part-time jobs do not solve their financial problems.

Most of migrants are residents of the regions to be transferred to Azerbaijan under the peace agreement, explains Sona Martirosyan, the press secretary for the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

A lot of IDPs would like to return, but they are afraid of uncertainty, says volunteer Elena Shuvaeva-Petrosyan. According to her, refugees are afraid to risk their minor children, while women do not want to leave their injured husbands.

According to Elena Shuvaeva-Petrosyan, the main problems faced by the IDPs are related to finding housing and a job. Meanwhile, some owners took advantage of the situation and raised rental prices. But there are also those who provide their housing to migrants free of charge.

Armine Lalayan left a house in Shushi, captured by the Azerbaijani troops. The woman together with her children took refuge in a shelter in Stepanakert, and after the conclusion of the armistice, Armine Lalayan moved to Yerevan with her five children. The woman notes that the one-time assistance from the Armenian authorities is not a solution to the problem.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD), 4400 refugees have already returned to Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia, the "Sputnik Armenia" reports.