Frustrated Syrian refugees escape from Armenia

/By AzerNews/

By Laman Sadigova

Once fleeing from bombs and chaos in war-torn Syria the ethnic Armenians were full of hope to find a rest in Armenia, without knowing the real situation in this South Caucasus country.

They in fact were search of peace which they needed never before, a new life to forget the horrors of war, but were disappointed.

The post-Soviet country reminded them a long-forgotten land with its poor economy and instable political life. The country lacked any opportunity to host refugees despite promises for better living conditions.

Giving people false hopes to desperate refugees the Armenian government indeed frustrated their plans. But what was the target?

First, the Syrian crisis gave to Armenia a chance to carry out its long-held dream - to settle Armenians from all over the world on a piece of land that they grabbed from the neighboring states.

Second, that would enable the authorities to refill their army. While Armenian citizens flee from the country or send away their sons of military age, the influx of refugees, including many young people, could be indeed a gift to the government.

Third, and no less important reason, why the Syrian refugees were lured to Armenia was the lack of population required for settlement of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Refugees were placed in particular the occupied Azerbaijani regions of Lachin and Zangelan.

Armenian media reports urge that several tens of Syrians received even grants and certain privileges in exchange to settlement in the Azerbaijani lands under the Armenian control.

Syrian Armenians were supposed to solve the demographic problem in the post-Soviet nation, which is suffering high rate of emigration threatening to turn into a systemic disaster.

However, increasing number of the refugees desiring to leave the country destroyed this hope of Armenia, sinking in debts, crisis and criminality.

Living conditions and economic situation remains critical in Armenia, and people are afraid of additional workforce in condition when they are in search of job.

Multiple Syrian-Armenian newcomers who began business doing in Armenia recently complain of the hassles they encounter on a regular basis pushing them to seeking a new country to call home.

Refugee complaints

The current situation in Armenia is frightening refugees more than bombs.

According to local media reports, the refugees were looking for another country to move right after they reached Armenia.

As many as 12 Armenians from Aleppo presented a list of complaints about the system of doing business in Armenia. They indicated physical attacks and threats, necessity for family and personal bonds with the officials, excessive taxes, lack of prospects, and much more as factors hampering business.

Twenty-four-year-old refugee from Syria, Krist Brutian, lost vision in his left eye after a brutal beating on December 28, 2013, in his family’s auto-parts store in Yerevan. The beating reportedly came at the hands of disgruntled customers wielding iron bars. A disagreement over the price for spare car parts caused the incident. They came with 30 people carrying iron bars and said nothing but ‘Kill them!’” Brutian recounted. His 60-year-old father, Armenak, and brother, Manuk, were badly injured as well.

Many Syrian-Armenians link their business difficulties to their status as outsiders.

The promises to provide housing for the refugees were as always just a waste of words. Suffice it to recall the ephemeral project area of New Aleppo near Yerevan, supposedly destined for the refugees. However, there was not a real project, whilst the only objective was to attract money from benefactors and to close the "office." Indeed, money raised as donations sunk into obscurity.

So, it becomes clear that Syrian Armenians are not much awaited guests in poor and weak Armenia. No work or opportunity for doing business here, while big criminality and other problems worsen the situation.

The country’s authorities do not try to solve the [problems but conceal them as tightly as they can, just not to allow to be seen anyone else…