Society 11:17 12/08/2020 Armenia

Diaspora commissioner welcomes non-Armenian migrants to Armenia

By Harut Sassounian

Publisher, The California Courier

On the top of all the other disputes among Armenians, a new controversy was added last week by Zareh Sinanyan, the Armenian Republic’s High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs.

A few days before Sinanyan’s visit to Lebanon over the weekend, accompanying a plane-load of humanitarian aid from Armenia, he spoke on a teleconference with a group of Armenian officials and others and made some unexpected statements. Here are excerpts from Sinanyan’s statement:

“…We should create such a reality in Armenia that not in the distant future we can think about not only the repatriation of Armenians, but also making Armenia the homeland of, how do I say this, for nationalities like us. I am talking about Christian Arabs, Assyrians, those nationalities that do not represent a national security danger to Armenia and can be easily integrated in Armenia. Because in such an intelligent, thoughtful and civilized manner, we can change the demographic situation in Armenia. We should not be embarrassed by that. That is a correct step. That will be a success. Imagine that we can make Armenia a country that is attractive also to non-Armenians….”

Sinanyan’s above statement created a major controversy in Armenian circles worldwide. The vast majority of Armenian comments on Facebook pages were highly critical, turning this issue, like many others, into a partisan political dispute.

I also watched another one of Sinanyan’s interviews with the Civilnet website prior to his visit to Lebanon. In that interview, Sinanyan again spoke about Christian Arabs, Assyrians and other nationalities immigrating to Armenia. However, this time, Sinanyan stated that the idea came from Shahan Kandaharian, the editor of Aztag newspaper in Lebanon, the official organ of the local Armenian Revolutionary Party (ARF). Sinanyan implied that the ARF supported this idea, repeating twice that Kandaharian is an ARF member. In fact, the ARF leaders have publicly announced that they prefer Lebanese Armenians not abandon the well-established community of that country. Naturally, no one can constrain any Lebanese Armenian from immigrating to Armenia, which is much more preferable than immigrating to other foreign lands. Kandaharian’s words were somewhat misconstrued by Sinanyan. In the video, Kandaharian was speaking about the immigration to Armenia of Lebanese who had Armenian roots, not Christian Arabs nor Assyrians. Sinanyan also alleged that those who criticized him on Facebook are ARF members and an "army of fakes." While there may be a few fakes, but it is clear that the overwhelming majority of the critics are Armenians who do not wish non-Armenians to immigrate to Armenia.

Nevertheless, there are several important issues that need to be raised:

First of all, the immigration of non-Armenians to Armenia is a very sensitive issue for most Armenians with serious national consequences which go far beyond Sinanyan’s authority and responsibilities. The genocide of 1915 which decimated 1.5 million Armenians makes all Armenians extra protective of the remnants of their people and the diminished homeland.

Furthermore, while Sinanyan is responsible for implementing the Armenian government’s policy of repatriating Diaspora Armenians, the immigration of non-Armenians to Armenia has nothing to do with the office of the High Commissioner of Diaspora Affairs.

The immigration of non-Armenians is a matter of governmental policy. Since independence, there has been a small number of non-Armenians who have settled in Armenia as businessmen or family members of Armenian citizens. There have been also some refugees who have asked for asylum in Armenia. Anyway, it is doubtful that a large number of non-Armenians would be interested in moving permanently to Armenia in the near future.

To be clear, we are not talking about the various minority nationalities that live in Armenia, such as Yezidis, Assyrians, Greeks and Russians. These minorities have been residing in Armenia for centuries. There is no question about their continued residence in Armenia.

In terms of changing the demographics of Armenia and increasing its population, the first thing the Armenian government has to do is to establish policies that would discourage the native population of Armenia from leaving the homeland. This would mean creating jobs and providing housing. After that, the Armenian government should try to attract Diaspora Armenians, particularly those in the near abroad, such as the recent emigrants to Russia, to return to Armenia. To do that, Armenia needs to facilitate their move to Armenia by having a simple procedure for their resettlement, and providing them housing and employment. Otherwise, the Russian Armenians either will not return to Armenia or will turn around and go back after a short stay. This is exactly what happened to Syrian-Armenians who moved to Armenia, fleeing from the civil war in Syria. Many of them left for Western Europe, Canada or the United States due to lack of jobs and housing in Armenia.

The priority right now for Sinanyan’s office is to attract Armenians from the Diaspora to move to Armenia. If by a miracle, a large number of Diaspora Armenians resettle in Armenia, only then the Armenian government can raise the issue of allowing a large number of other nationalities to immigrate to Armenia. There needs to be a major national consensus for allowing a large number of non-Armenians moving to Armenia. This is not a one man’s or one group’s decision.



Source Panorama.am
Share |

Newsfeed

17:06
MPs expelled from Armenia's ruling party set up new party
MPs Hovik Aghazaryan and Hakob Aslanyan, who were expelled from Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party earlier in December, have...
16:35
Former Armenian defense minister reportedly arrested in Moscow
Armenia's former Defense Minister Arshak Karapetyan has been detained in Moscow, Izvestia reports, citing the Telegram channel 112....
16:00
Foggy conditions expected in Yerevan this week
Dry weather is expected across Armenia on Monday and in the next few days. Foggy conditions are forecast for the Ararat Valley, with drivers...
15:30
Putin sends New Year greetings to Armenian leaders
Russian President Vladimir Putin extended New Year and Christmas greetings to Armenian President Vahagn Khachatryan and Prime Minister Nikol...
15:00
Armenia's existence and Pashinyan government 'incompatible', opposition MP says
Opposition lawmaker Tigran Abrahamyan claims Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government has completely failed in all areas and poses...
14:30
Single cigarette takes 20 minutes off life expectancy, study reveals
Smokers are being urged to kick the habit for 2025 after a fresh assessment of the harms of cigarettes found they shorten life expectancy even...
14:00
History Museum of Armenia to be open to visitors during holidays
The History Museum of Armenia will be open to visitors on January 1 and 2 from 12pm to 4pm. Starting from January 3, the museum will run as...
13:33
Activist slams ongoing detention of ARF member Gagik Sargsyan
Human rights activist Avetik Ishkhanyan has denounced the ongoing “disgraceful” detention of Gagik Sargsyan, a member of the...
13:00
Catholicos Karekin II's New Year message to be aired on 8 TV channels
The annual New Year address by Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II will be aired on eight TV channels, including Armenia TV, Yerkir...
12:45
Magnus Carlsen to return to World Blitz Championship
Chess great Magnus Carlsen will return to the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in New York after initially quitting following governing...
12:30
Yerevan feels like home: U.S. ambassador sends New Year greetings to Armenian people
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Kristina Kvien has extended New Year greetings to the Armenian people. “As we come together with friends...
12:10
AAIC announces creation of Artsakh Preservation Front
The Armenian-American Information Center (AAIC) announced the creation of the Artsakh Preservation Front in a statement released on...
11:45
Former US President Jimmy Carter dies at 100
Former US President Jimmy Carter has died aged 100, the centre he founded has confirmed. The former peanut farmer lived longer than any...
11:35
Armenia 'deeply saddened' by tragic plane crash in South Korea
The Armenian Foreign Ministry expressed condolences to South Korea after a plane crash at Muan International Airport killed 179 people...
11:15
Armenia's History Museum welcomed over 100,000 visitors this year
The History Museum of Armenia hosted more than 20 exhibitions and over 60 other events in 2024. The museum welcomed more than 100,000...
11:00
Drivers warned about closed, icy roads in Armenia
The Rescue Service has warned drivers about road closure in Armenia on Monday morning. In particular, the road linking the Amberd high...
17:32
Opposition MP: Armenian government lacks resources to counter security threats
Opposition lawmaker Tigran Abrahamyan claims the Armenian government lacks any resources to counter the mounting security threats facing...
17:02
Putin apologizes to Aliyev over plane crash
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, for what the Kremlin said was a...
16:43
Magnitude 4.2 quake hits Georgia, felt in Armenia
A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck Georgia late on Saturday afternoon. The quake was 8 km northwest of the city of Dmanisi and at a...
16:13
Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan to honor fallen soldiers on New Year's Eve
Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan will visit Yerevan’s Yerablur Military Pantheon to pay tribute to fallen soldiers on New Year’s Eve....
15:36
Venice, other cities ban alcohol use on New Year’s Eve
Venice has introduced a ban on alcohol consumption on New Year’s Eve as a safety measure. It joins other cities around the world that...
15:27
Armenia's museum reserves extend working hours for holidays
During the New Year holidays on 31 December 2024 and 1-2 January 2025, the Garni Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve will be open to the...
14:45
Armenian players show strong performances at World Rapid Chess Championship
The 2nd game day of the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship has ended. 4 rounds were played today, the Armenian Chess Federation...
14:24
Armenian ambassador will not return to Belarus – Sputnik Armenia
Armenia has no plans to send Ambassador Razmik Khumaryan back to Belarus, sources have told Sputnik Armenia. Khumaryan was recalled to...
14:06
Armenia sees rise in hospitalizations for acute respiratory infections
Armenia has seen an increase in hospitalizations for acute respiratory viral infections, including pneumonia, prompting calls for emergency...
13:30
Armenia's deputy sports minister may resign
Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, Karen Giloyan, denies media reports suggesting that he has tendered...
13:03
Stepantsminda-Larsi road closed to trucks
The Stepantsminda-Larsi highway connecting Armenia and Russia via Georgia is currently closed to truck traffic, as reported...
12:46
FIDE disqualifies Magnus Carlsen for wearing jeans
Magnus Carlsen, the reigning world chess champion and top-ranked player, faced a disqualification from the 2024 World Rapid and Blitz Chess...
12:30
MP's comments confirm Pashinyan lying about Artsakh negotiations, expert says
Political analyst Suren Surenyants has again accused Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of lying about the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)...
11:55
Armenian church commemorates James and John the Evangelist
The Armenian Apostolic Church on Saturday commemorates the Holy Apostle James and John the Evangelist. Both held prominent...

Follow us and get updates!

Most popular articles

{"core.blocks.header.spell_message1":"Selected mistake: ","core.blocks.header.spell_message2":"Send a message about the mistake?"}