Armenian Citizens Returning from Ukraine via Transfer Flights

Due to the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Armenian citizens who moved from Ukraine to Western European countries are returning to Armenia within a 15-day period. This was stated to 24News by the spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, Amalya Karapetyan, who added that some of them are already on their way back to Armenia.

She noted that the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs is taking steps to ensure that non-Armenian citizens of Armenian descent also receive assistance. "We want our compatriots to receive some support from Armenian community organizations, organize their documents, take a breath, and recover from the stressful situation. However, regarding their transportation, there are currently no clear evacuation steps from the government. We have a quite large community in Ukraine, ranging from 400,000 to 500,000, and the majority do not hold Armenian citizenship. In their case, the 15-day limitation does not apply. Perhaps they will receive another status from European countries, which is, of course, beyond our jurisdiction," she stated.

The press secretary of the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs mentioned that Armenian citizens are primarily passing through Poland from Ukraine and have 15 days to remain in European Union countries. "Some are also crossing into Moldova, as it is quite close to the border. However, it's important to note that Moldova's air borders are also closed, meaning people are again crossing into a third country and returning to Armenia from there. Citizens who have crossed into neighboring countries of Western Ukraine and Schengen zone countries have a 15-day time limit," she added.

According to Karapetyan, Armenian citizens who were in Ukraine for various reasons (work, tourism, visiting relatives) and were unable to leave due to military actions are returning to Armenia via transfer flights or by land routes. "They must go to third countries from the second country that have direct flights to Armenia. For their return, they are using routes such as Vienna-Yerevan, Frankfurt-Yerevan, Paris-Yerevan, Athens-Yerevan, and Istanbul-Yerevan," she concluded.