How Many of the Armenians from Artsakh Who Left Armenia Have Returned?

Nearly half of the Armenians from Artsakh who left for Armenia after the violent displacement in 2023 have returned, according to David Khachatryan, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia, in an interview with Sputnik Armenia.

“Of course, there have been movements. About 15,000 departures have occurred, but around 7,000 to 8,000 have returned. This means that some, for instance, spent the winter abroad with their families. Some people had short trips. Essentially, the number of those who have been absent for several months can be estimated at around 7,000 to 8,000. In other words, we can say that half have returned. According to border crossing data, about 7,000 to 8,000 are still outside,” said the deputy minister.

Khachatryan is confident that the others will also return soon, as a prerequisite for becoming a beneficiary of the government program for housing support for Artsakh residents is obtaining Armenian citizenship, which requires returning to Armenia and applying to the relevant authorities. After acquiring housing under the program, one must reside in that property for 10 years.

“Of course, there may be opportunities for absence for various reasons, but we have stated that if two adult members of a family are absent from the country for more than 6 months within a year, this will be an obstacle to the registration of property rights. Therefore, we believe that part of those who left will also return, at least for the sake of this program,” Khachatryan added.

It should be noted that according to expert estimates, about 15 percent (15,000 people) of our compatriots forcibly displaced from Artsakh in the autumn of 2023 have left Armenia after their displacement.

On May 7, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated during a press conference that the aforementioned number of people did not leave Armenia. He assured that this does not correspond to reality, adding that both Armenian citizens and Artsakh residents are leaving and entering Armenia.