Deutsche Welle: Life from scratch: Artsakh refugees face difficulties in Armenia

A year after the mass exodus, more than 100,000 Armenians from Artsakh are trying to rebuild their lives in Armenia, facing many difficulties and an uncertain future, Deutsche Welle writes.

The issue of the living conditions of Artsakh refugees in Armenia, as well as migration issues, regularly become a subject of heated political discussions in the country.

The government regularly reports on migration flows. According to the Armenian National Security Service figures, from Sept. 25, 2023 (the beginning of the mass emigration of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh) to Sept. 10, 2024 inclusive, 24,261 people who had been forced to leave Artsakh left Armenia. Of them, 12,310 returned later, but 11,951 are abroad.

Many refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh face serious social and economic problems, including difficulty finding work and paying for housing.

Despite the government’s initiatives, they have not caused great enthusiasm among the settlers. As of September 2024, 916 applications were submitted, of which only 30 were approved. The main reasons for the rejections are the family members’ lack of Armenian citizenship or refugee status.