Armenian government takes refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh under temporary protection

YEREVAN, October 26. /ARKA/. The Armenian government has approved a decision today to take under its 'temporary protection' the persons staying in Armenia or outside it, whose last address of registration was Nagorno-Karabakh, or they actually resided there and were registered with Armenian migration authorities after fleeing Karabakh due to September 19 Azerbaijani offensive.

Justice Minister Grigor Minasyan told a Cabinet session that granting such a status to refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh would clarify the legal status of the citizens forcibly displaced from their homeland, the range of their rights and obligations.

He noted that the persons taken under protection by force of law get the status of refugees and the rights guaranteed by international law on refugees. He also noted that the decision is important in terms of protection of their rights and legal interests.

Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan noted that the status will allow the residents of Nagorno Karabakh to use the assistance mechanisms, which are envisaged for the citizens of Armenia.

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan added that obtaining such a status will allow the refugees to apply for Armenian citizenship. At the same time, he pointed out that by obtaining citizenship, people will no longer be eligible to government assistance programs, intended only for refugees.

On September 19, Azerbaijan launched what it called an "anti-terrorist" operation against ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh.

The assault lasted 24 hours and ended with Azerbaijani forces gaining full control of the region for the first time since the 1990s war.

This led to a vast refugee crisis, with entire ethnic Armenians fleeing along the narrow mountain road connecting the region to the Republic of Armenia. -0--

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