ARMENIA TO SOLVE MASS MIGRATION PROBLEM BY DUAL CITIZENSHIP
Democratic Azerbaijan
Feb 28 2007
New Law Will Also Allow Representatives of Armenian Diaspora to
Partake in Elections to be Held in Armenia In near future number of
Armenian citizens can be increased. However, it won’t occur due to
some abnormal "population explosion" in Armenia which faces serious
problems in the field of population growth. It can occur as result of
legal and administrative measures. Draft bill "On dual citizenship"
currently discussed by Armenian Parliament and expected to be adopted
during final reading will enable increasing population of the country
in several millions.
Accordingly to draft bill, any person of Armenian origin who reached 18
can obtain citizenship of Armenia (second citizenship) not depending on
the current place of residence, of course, if the law of the country
where he or she currently lives permits to do so. Two conditions
are also demanded from person of Armenian origin living in foreign
country to obtain citizenship of Armenia; he or she should know
Armenian language and should be aware of Constitution of Armenia.
Moreover, accordingly to draft bill the person married to citizen
of Armenia automatically can obtain citizenship of Armenia. Basing
on the document, if person who obtained citizenship of Armenia has
passed military service in the country he lived he shall be released
from the same service in Armenia. In this respect, persons who get
dual citizenship will be able to struggle for presidential office or
deputy seat at the parliament during elections.
However the matter that most of all attracts attention to the draft
bill concerns the fact that the persons who obtained citizenship
of Armenia can partake in voting. Documents reads that persons who
obtain citizenship of Armenia can partake in all elections to be held
in Armenia just like in the country they live. It should be pointed
out that this aspect of the draft bill caused discussions not only
in Armenia but in all foreign Armenian diaspora. Today number of
Armenians living in foreign countries exceeds twice as much the same
number in Armenia (5-6 millions). New law will give opportunity to
Armenian diaspora to influence election process in Armenia.
Theoretically, hundreds of Armenians having Armenian citizenship can
join elections to elect president or to form new parliament. But it
is far from being real. "It is possible just theoretically, as it is
impossible to imagine some Armenian living in Russia wastes 500-600
US dollars for one day trip to Armenia to join election", said,
Karen Galustyan, vice president of the Union of Armenians in Russia,
on commenting draft bill. As for opposition representatives they
are against draft bill on "dual citizenship" and they have boycotted
discussions. Accordingly to opposition representatives, taking this
step authors of the document – pro-governmental parties "Republic" and
"Dashnakzuzun" – are attempting to win additional points on the eve of
parliamentary elections to be held in May this year and Presidential
ones to be held in 2008. Accordingly to Armenian opposition Armenian
government also intends to provide opportunity for representatives of
foreign diaspora to join presidential campaign. But it would be too
naïve to think that with adoption of the draft bill its provisions
will come in force immediately, as availability of agreement (on
dual citizenship) concluded between Armenia and the country where
person of Armenian origin wising to get Armenian citizenship lives,
is necessary to make the law work.
As matter of fact, Armenian leadership has more actual matters as its
object respecting this draft bill. By adoption of the draft Armenian
leadership aims to facilitate coming of rich Armenians living in
foreign states to Armenia to actively partake in economic, political
life of the country and to stop migration of Armenians to foreign
countries. Thus, aggravating hard economic situation in Armenia
forces people to leave the country. They mainly prefer to leave for
"neighbor state" – Russia. However, it is very difficult to obtain
Russian citizenship and to start business activity there. That is
why majority of Armenians migrated to Russia has to refuse Armenian
citizenship to obtain the Russian one.
Referring to official statistics for the last 2 years only over 50000
Armenians have obtained Russian citizenship. The same data say that
currently there are about 500000 Armenians living in Russia. In
general over 2,5 mn. Armenians live in Russia, that is, 2 mn.
Millions have already obtained Russian citizenship. Considerable part
of this number is comprised of Armenians who migrated to Russia when
Armenia got independence.
Adopting of the law "On dual citizenship" Armenian leadership actually
allows thousands of Armenians migrating to foreign states to formally
retain Armenian citizenship. "Year by year we lose our citizens and
dual citizenship will stop this tendency", said Armenian President,
Robert Kocharyan.
We should remind here that right for dual citizenship was realized
when referendum was held in Armenia on November 27, 2005, as result
of amendments made to the Constitution. Tens of Armenian legislations
used to ban dual citizenship practice. To date Armenia failed to
conclude any agreement with any foreign state in this connection.
First of all Armenia attempted to conclude such agreement with
Russia. But President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, stressing that
dual citizenship is prohibited by legislation declined proposal of
Armenian part.
Population related data of Armenian Statistic Agency showed that
demographic situation in this country faces crisis. Accordingly to
statistics from January 1, 2007, population of Armenia in 2006 has
increased by only 3000 making up 3 million 222 thousands. On the
other hand it is official data, and Armenian officials indirectly
recognize that population of the country is 1,5-2 million as maximum.
Accordingly to forecast contained in report of UN Population Fund,
demographic aggravations in Armenia will reach their climax within
upcoming years. Report reads that within upcoming 15 years population
of Armenia can be reduced by 600,000.
–Boundary_(ID_yWikO5KcvHX+FMS6eoHLrw)–