YEREVAN, JUNE 20, ARMENPRESS. This year more than 250 foreigners, most of them from Ukraine, have applied for asylum and refugee status in Armenia, the Migration Service of Armenia said.

In January-March 2022, the Migration Service received applications for asylum from 13 countries of the world, including Ukraine, Iran, Iraq, Cuba, Lebanon, Syria, etc.

Over the past ten years Armenia has provided a refugee status to more than 1500 asylum seekers. In the past five years the Migration Service has been receiving an average of 220 applications for asylum per year.

During the 2020 war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh, the Migration Service collected the data of the displaced persons from Artsakh, which it processes and sends to other agencies if necessary.

The data was obtained through home visits: in Yerevan accompanied by representatives of territorial staffs of the Yerevan City Hall’s Department of Children and Social Protection, and in provinces through representatives of staffs of local self-government authorities.

Nearly 91,000 persons, 88% of whom are women and children, have been registered in the electronic database.

Housing program for refugees forcibly displaced from Azerbaijan

Based on the 2019 November 21 decision of the government, the Migration Service carries out a housing program for refugee families who were displaced from Azerbaijan in 1988-1992 and have been left without shelter for 30 years. 270 families have been provided with apartment purchase certificates – with a total cost of 3.7 billion drams. Nearly 200 of these families (around 75% of those who received apartment purchase certificates) have already purchased an apartment.

On March 10, 2022, the government of Armenia adopted the decision N283 according to which the program will start to be implemented in the provinces. According to the studies conducted in 2013, 254 families in provinces are potential program beneficiaries. Currently, a process of re-registration of potential beneficiaries living in provinces is underway.

June 20 is celebrated around the world as the World Refugee Day.