Keghart
Armenia has many problems just like any other country in the world. There can’t be a nation without problems, however, the point is being able to correct them, improve them, change them.
Armenia has many problems just like any other country in the world. There can’t be a nation without problems, however, the point is being able to correct them, improve them, change them.
There is emigration from all countries. Even from the United States, but the number of people leaving the US compared to the number of births and immigration, is negligible. There are more than 7 million Americans living abroad and according to the latest reports, more than 3 million American citizens a year are moving out. Amazingly, the number is very interesting — most of them are between the ages of 25 to 35. But, the population of the US is over 300 million and the exodus is about 1%.
Armenia is a different story, and a very sad one. Myself and others had delivered several talks in Armenia some 15 years ago, later on 10 years ago, and almost any time the occasion presents itself. People did not want to hear it. Now, finally, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan in a February 22 interview, declared his concern and worry about emigration. “We are very concerned over the figures we get from the Migration Service,” he said. “So we approved special programs to reduce migration and create favorable environment for our nationals that are willing to return, ” he asserted.
During the past eight years alone, between 1992 to July 2010, more than 1.1 million people emigrated from Armenia, according to the Migration service. The majority of Armenians emigrate to Russia and Ukraine, specially to Moscow, but also to Altay, Voronezh (where there are aircraft factories), Kaliningrad, Kaluga, and other regions. Russia offers palatable conditions, gives them homes, offers work, transportation expenses of their belongings and bonus money — a one time deal somewhere between $4000 to $5000 and specially gives them citizenship within a year. It is the Russian law to lure migrants, people unhappy in the Motherland. According to some figures, 70,000 people leave Armenia annually while other place the figure higher.
It is a very dangerous situation. a catastrophic future awaits Armenia if the trend spirals downward and a serious remedy is not found to stop or at least to slow down the exodus.
Emigration or exodus takes place when someone wants to change the country he/she is living in and wants to move to a better place, simply stating. Anthropologists and sociologists have studied emigration and immigration patterns over the years and have come up with certain theories, rules and understandings.
Someone leaves the country for the following reasons, broadly speaking: religious oppression; political oppression; social oppression; lack of justice and economic advancement. Naturally, lack of justice advances corruption, cronyism, and crime. There are sub-reasons also — changing the climate, marriage, joining relatives, etc. but basically the five above mentioned reasons are the primary ones. Many times, for instance, obstruction of justice leads to social and economic dire conditions forcing individuals to move out.
Although there are inputs in Armenia — like the establishment of the American University, AGBU sponsored programs, ARS directed activities to improve social conditions, IT inputs from Armenian firms, churches, organizations, and so on, – but because the laws are not enforced (despite European Union and Human Rights organizations insistence) the population is unhappy and is looking outwards. It is unfortunate for Armenia if this situation continues and there doesn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel.
The exodus of scientists, educators, physicians, has taken a very serious turn. Even government statistics indicate that “twice as many men as women seek to leave Armenia, most of them being between the ages of 30 to 50. (It is government figures! And what is the government doing?)
I know people do not like to hear negative, bad or sad news about our Hayastan. But it is out there and everyone knows about it. Without misunderstanding, I have to ask — how many people know that more than 50 Armenian diplomatic corps members have not returned to the homeland and are living in a different and a more comfortable country and they say: People have one life to live, and we want to live in better conditions.
Every fifth Armenian lives in abject poverty — I am not saying it. It was mentioned in a letter addressed to the government written by an independent Parliamentarian Victor Dallakyan, who also stated that poverty has raised the rate of suicides and asked “what efforts is the government taking to reduce poverty and create jobs?” How can some people become millionaires in a decade and others go the opposite direction, and can’t even have decent nutrition or health service or education.
The government should really step up to the plate and get its act together with bold programs tailored to fit the needs of the ordinary people and improve their lives, providing medical assistance, education, nutrition, social life and all the amenities for a normal life.
The way to improve the situation is to eliminate as much as possible all the political oppression, establish freedom of speech, create democratic means, work towards social justice, eliminate corruption and so on. Everyone has the prescription, and this is nothing new.
Because, even if the government figures are deflated, when 75 to 80,000 people are emigrating Armenia, in a decade Armenia will lose a million people, since birth rates are down and death figures are up.
Don’t get me wrong. I love Armenia.
Keghart
Keghart
Keghart
8 comments
Almost everybody knows
Will Armenians accept the present police state if it radically and adequately addresses the issue of emigration?
Totally Agree
Dear Prof. Keshishian,
I live in Armenia and I just applied for immigration to Canada. My husband and I are highly educated people, but we can’t live here any more…The situation is getting worse day by day…The government is just causing another genocide to us…I pity that I’ll leave eventually, but I don’t see any other way of living here….
No one can help here…only the government…but the sole thing that they care about is money money money…
Sorry but this is a reality that I will leave soon…
Sincerely,
Anna K.
P.S. Just for info, I used to live in USA for few years then my husband and I decided to go back to Armenia so that our kids grow as real Armenians…but we see we can’t live here any more……..unfortunately.
Immigration
Pretty soon Canada will welcome you and you will live there looking forward for a new life as your children will lead you along the new path and you will follow them. Anything else that will continue to tie you both with your birthplace, Armenia, in the end will prove to be an illusion.
Immigration
Hello Apel,
Ineptitude of traditional BBBs and Oligarchs in R
The BBBs are the Diaspora´s Bishops, Benefactors and Bosses, according to writer Ara Baliozian. The oligarchs are in Armenia.
Q. Who created the latter in Armenia or who was instrumental in their creation?
A. The new regime of ¨free market economy¨ or even the "wild free market."
Q. Are the BBBs and the oligarchs associated entities?
A. In an abstract way. The first ones (in the Diaspora) injected the free market economy into Armenia, under the guise of democracy, freedom, etc.
Q. Is there a way out of the quagmire created in RoA or is the situation hopeless?
A. The only solution, albeit temporary, is for a few of the top military brass, with help of independent opposition leaders, meaning not the LTP or others similar to it, but like Rafi Hovhannissian, Baruyr Hairikian and a couple more take centre stage and press the present government to resign, oligarchs are forced to explain how they got rich so quickly, and to strip them of their assets.
Q. Are you suggesting a coup?
A. Not really. I am advising for a quick transformation, with a temporary government and the introduction of democratic socialism, copying the Nordic countries. Not like the social democrats of the traditional Armenian party or the like.
Q. Do we enact strict taxation and social security laws similar to the Scandinavian countries?
A. Yes. Hopefully, these laws would be permanent, no matter the ruling party or government.. I will elaborate on this (New Concept of Electoral System & Governance) in a later post. We have to commence with real participation and representation, not only from political parties or by electoral campaigns dominated by money.
If you watch Armenian TV channels, it seems Armenia is a typically Westernized state. It seems everyday the president or the foreign minister visit some country or host numerous countries in Yerevan, along with small and large delegations. However, only a few of these visits are actually important; most are just to exchange visits and stay at Yerevan´s plush hotels.
Until then, have patience and wait. Armenia will not be emptied that easily.
I do approve and second what Nareg Nalbandian writes above
It should be born in mind (referring to his post, antichronologically) that presently the Govt. in RA is acting pretty much as any other, busy dealing with day to day issues, how to make use of Loans from other govt.’s and or grants, where to invest a bit to alleviate tremendous difficulties the people are going through.
It would hardly be capable of a radical move towards elimination of the evils – read corruption, mishandling of funds etc., given the present mode of RULE.
As to comparing or questioning rather if the previous repopulation of RA by the then regime was more important than individuals with partial liberties, indeed former was and still is much more important. Repatriation is important.
His remarks as rgds Mr. Keshishian´s rather lengthy article, one should remember that his is the profession of Journalism and – this according to my father, may he rest in peace – newspapers must be filled in ….
Fact is I went through his newspaper on line, through link and I found that he is also lightly touching upon issues that this writer has raised, such as having 5 permanent Delegates in RA, from our 5 main diasporas, in a number of multiple e-mails, as well as published in Armenianweekly – Armenian version, and USArmenian life magazine, in a different mode, recently.
Being Aware of Our Homeland
Being aware of our homeland’s difficulties, I ask myself "what is my role in nation building?" Should Germans, Italians, the British… go and make a paradise in Armenia and invite us to live there?
Many Armenians who emigrated from Armenia to Northern America demonstrate a huge absence of hayrenasirootyoon in their character. Perhaps it’s because they were considered Soviet citizens rather than Armenians in Soviet times.
I want to share an incident which took place during a previous stay in Armenia. My taxi driver had the radio on. I asked him to change the station to one which broadcast in our language so we could understand–the station was in Russian. The driver responded that Russian is our own language, not a foreign one.
What I conclude from the above is that emigration from Armenia is not merely because of economics or because of lack of social justice but also because of lack of knowledge of our identity. The latter has to improve in our educational system and in our mass media, specially TV.
God Bless Our homeland.
Hello people
Hello people, and Hello Albert
I am from Yerevan.
I want to update you related to the information of why people leave Armenia these days. Look, you say people here have lack of knowledge of identity, right? The thing is that now, at schools and at universities there is no lack of teaching children identity, patriotism… Besides educational institutions, we are taught identity and patriotism also by some TV channels, newspapers, etc etc etc. I am not saying that we are becoming nationalists…in no way…
The problem personally for me is as follows…How are we taught about these things? From which angle? We learn about wars with our enemies, about loosing some of them and winning others, we learn about Genocide, we learn about Karabakh…but the problem is that we form our identity on issues like Genocide and Karabakh…we live with our past, not with our future…
Yes, I know, unless we get all our conflicts solved, and borders open, maybe we won’t be able to be totally free and looking ahead for bright future…but this is only one side…the other side is …come on…we already for 20 and more years live like this…and as you see we advance…yes the closed borders are an obstacle…but then how come we have everything other nations also have in the material sphere?
Simply we are afraid of many things…of breaking the chains…and saying enough is enough…because there can be pressure from outside…there can occur wars etc…but I think we can’t go on like this…with the current government…with the current laws….and all these things…which become basis of our identity make us sick and tired…see? And why I do want to leave Armenia at least for some time…I want to forget for some time all the problems that we have here in Armenia. Do you think it is easy to go to the villages and see that every second house is being sold? No…and people run…they run away from reality… some run for these matters…others run from these matters rather unconsciously…
So…what we need is an alarm to wake us up…but honestly, I don’t know how this alarm can be materialized…
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