Online version of the exhibition: “Forced migration – refugees in Armenia”
10:30, June 26, 2013 | News | The Rights of Conflict VictimsThe exhibition “Forced migration – refugees in Armenia” organised by EVS volunteers and HCA Vanadzor took place in Vanadzor, Armenia on June 22nd, 2013 which will last until June 28th. This is the on-line version of the exhibition.
Table of Content
The World Refugee Day is dedicated to raising awareness of the situation of refugees throughout the world
(A) refugee (is) as a person who is outside his or her country of nationality or habitual residence, has a well founded fear of being persecuted because of his or her race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion; and is unable or unwilling to avail him- or herself of the protection of that country, or to return there, for fear of persecution.
Estimated number of refugees worldwide: 15,2 million (*** UNHCR 2012)
What is the difference between refugees and migrants?
Refugees are forced to flee because of a threat of persecution and because they lack the protection of their own country. A migrant, in comparison, may leave his or her country for many reasons that are not related to persecution, such as for the purposes of employment, family reunification or study. A migrant continues to enjoy the protection of his or her own government, even when abroad.
Estimated number of migrants worldwide: 214 million (*** UN Department of Economic of and Social Affairs 2010)
What is an asylum-seeker?
The terms asylum-seeker and refugee are often confused: an asylum-seeker is someone who says he or she is a refugee, but whose claim has not yet been definitively evaluated.
National asylum systems are there to decide which asylum-seekers actually qualify for international protection.
Estimated number of asylum-seeker worldwide: 876 100 (*** UNHCR 2011)
What does stateless mean?
To be stateless is to be without nationality or citizenship. There is no legal bond of nationality between the state and the individual. Statelessness refers to the condition of an individual who is not considered as a national by any State.
Estimated number of stateless people worldwide: 12 million (***UNHCR 2011)
What is an Internally Displace Person (IDP)?
Unlike refugees, IDPs have not crossed an international border to find sanctuary but have remained inside their home countries. Even if they have fled for similar reasons as refugees (armed conflict, generalized violence, human rights violations), IDPs legally remain under the protection of their own government – even though that government might be the cause of their flight.
Estimated number of IDPs worldwide: 26,4 million (***UNHCR 2011)
Number of refugees worldwide 2011
United Nations Convention relating to the status of refugees
What is the 1951 Convention?
The 1951 Convention relating to the status of refugees protects refugees. People who fulfill the definition of refugees of the 1951 Convention are entitled to the rights and bound by the duties contained in the 1951 Convention.
Why do refugees need protection?
States are responsible for protecting the fundamental human rights of their citizens. When they are unable or unwilling to do so – often for political reasons or based on discrimination – individuals may suffer such serious violations of their human rights that they have to leave their homes, their families and their communities to find sanctuary in another country. Since, by definition, refugees are not protected by their own governments, the international community steps in to ensure they are safe and protected.
Who is not covered by the 1951 Convention?
People who have committed crimes against peace, a war crime, crimes against humanity or a serious non-political crime outside the country of refuge.
What obligations does a refugee have?
Refugees are required to respect the laws and regulations of their country of asylum.
Can non-Convention countries refuse to admit would-be refugees?
The principle of non-refoulement—the forcible return of people to countries where they face persecution—is part of customary international law and is binding on all states. Therefore no government should expel a person in those circumstances.
Is refugee protection permanent?
The protection provided under the 1951 Convention is not automatically permanent. A person may no longer be a refugee when the basis for his or her refugee status ceases to exist. This may occur when, for example, refugees voluntary repatriate to their home countries once the situation there permits such return. It may also occur when refugees integrate or become naturalized in their host countries and stay permanently.
Main Rights contained in the 1951 Convention include:
The right…
…not to be expelled, except under certain, strictly defined conditions
…not to be punished for the illegal entry or presence
…to freedom of movement within the territory
…to be issued identity and travel documents
…to public relief and assistance
…to freedom of religion
…to access the courts
…to education
…to housing
…to work
Refugee policy by the State of Armenia
Law on the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens
In 1994, the parliament of Armenia had adopted the Law on the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens. This Law granted Special Residency Status (SRS) to persons of Armenian descent (Article 21). The SRS allowed the holder to reside in Armenia for ten years and enjoy the same rights as Armenian citizens, except the right to vote or be elected.
Citizenship Law
In 1998-1999, UNHCR assisted the government in implementing the national Citizenship Law of 1995. Despite initial hesitation on the part of refugees to consider naturalisation, the number of naturalised refugee rose considerably in 1999 as a result of an information campaign and improved procedures.
Housing program
The state housing program for homeless refugees started functioning in 2003. Since then, the program has addressed various regions in Armenia. While the state program is supposed to provide certificates for purchasing housing to refugees living in temporary, state-provided, administrative dwellings, the international organizations are supposed to build houses for those who already own land or live in wagon-houses or half-built houses. The state provides certificates to refugee families that were registered in a dormitory or who had similar temporary housing by 2003, and lived there constantly, i.e. with no other available living space. The lists of refugees were checked against the availability of property and actual residence in the dormitories. Those refugees who did not have their own housing, but lived at relatives’ places were not included in the current program, resulting in contestations.
Challenges for refugees
Border Crossing
Border guards have insufficient knowledge on refugee rights regarding the access to the territory. They refer principally to the Law on State Borders in their work, so that the Law on Refugees is rarely implemented in practice.
Refugee Status Determination
The capacity of the government to conduct fair and efficient RSD is limited, and the RSD procedures need to be developed in order to comply fully with European standards. There is also a lack of a unified mechanism to consider claims under 1951 Convention. Armenia has not adopted mechanisms of temporary protection.
Risk to security from violence and exploitation
Many refugee women are subjected to domestic violence and other form of sexual and gender based violence. Similarly violence against children is widespread and there is no proper government mechanism to address these issues.
Essential Services
Refugees and asylum seekers are one of the most vulnerable groups in the community regarding the poverty in Armenia (35%.)
Accommodation
Despite the national shelter program there are still some vulnerable refugees without a housing solution. By law, all refugees and asylum holders may request shelter assistance. The Government cannot implement this provision due to its limited resources.
Education
The drop-out rate of children from refugee families is 2-3 times higher than that of Armenian nationals. Refugee families are unable to cover essential costs such as textbooks and clothing leading to poor completion rates.
Employment
The job market in Armenia is saturated and opportunities for refugees to become self-reliant are extremely limited.
Comprehensive durable solution strategy
The preferred solution for most refugees in Armenia is local integration. The Armenian population is very receptive towards refugees, and the government has actively facilitated their integration.
Nevertheless, socio-economic integration of refugees remains a critical issue (many refugees face difficulties affording shelter and finding employment).
Two refugees from Baku – Lilian (86) and her mentally disabled son (57) – in their tiny room in a former hotel near Yerevan, where they have been living now for 20 years.
Photo taken in cooperation with UNHCR and Mission Armenia.
Photo taken by: Peter Schön (autumn 2012)Leica Fotografie M-Analogue Mastershot and Category “Portrait”.
Zeiss ZM Sonnar C 1.5/50, Leica M7 and Ilford HP5+ at ASA 800. Scanned with Hasselblad X1.
Village mostly inhabited by refugees in Lori Marz.
Photo taken by: Peter Schön (winter 2012)
David H. (60) moved with his family from Azerbaijan to Armenia in 1988.
Photo taken by: Daniel Laaber (spring 2013)
Sony Slt 55 AV, Super-Multi-Coated TAKUMAR 1971: 1:1.8/55mm
Aramis (84), an Armenian refugee in a village near Vanadzor, telling his story. He is one of the 400.000 Armenians that had to flee Azerbaijan during the 1988-1994 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Aramis was the last to leave his village in Azerbaijan, and could escape with the help of an Azeri driver.
Photo taken in collaboration with Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor.
Photo taken by: Peter Schön (autumn 2012)
Leica Fotografie International M-Analogue Mastershot and Category “Portrait”.
Zeiss ZM Sonnar 1.5/50, Leica M7, B+W yellow filter and Kentmere 400 (ASA 800, in DD-X). Scanned with Hasselblad X1.
Village mostly inhabited by refugees in Lori Marz.
Photo taken by: Peter Schön (winter 2012)
Iraqi couple of Armenian ethnicity, who fled Iraq six years ago and now lives in a communal center in Darbnik, near Yerevan.
Photo taken in cooperation with UNHCR and Mission Armenia.
Photo taken by: Peter Schön (autumn 2012)
Leica Fotografie International M-Analog Mastershot and Category “Portrait”.
Zeiss ZM Sonnar 1.5/50, Leica M7, B+W yellow filter and Kentmere 400 (N+1).
Scanned with Hasselblad X1.
Astghik P. (80) moved to Armenia from Azerbaijan due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 1989.
Photo taken by: Daniel Laaber (spring 2013)
Sony Slt 55 AV Super-Multi-Coated TAKUMAR 1971: 1:1.8/55mm
Village mostly inhabited by refugees in Lori Marz.
Photo taken by: Peter Schön (winter 2012)
Hasmik S. (85) and her husband moved to Armenia from Azerbaijan because of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 1989.
Photo taken by: Daniel Laaber (spring 2013)
Sony Slt 55 AV Super-Multi-Coated TAKUMAR 1971: 1:1.8/55mm
Refugee from Baku in her tiny room in a former hotel near Yerevan, where she has been living now for 20 years.
Photo taken in cooperation with UNHCR and Mission Armenia.
Photo taken by: Peter Schön (autumn 2012)
Leica Fotografie International X1 Mastershot
Armenian refugees in a village near Vanadzor, which was formerly inhabited by Azeris, who themselves had to flee Armenia for Azerbaijan. The 1988 Spitak earthquake destroyed most of the village, and the inhabitants had to rebuilt it under very difficult conditions.
The family’s son died under mysterious circumstances while serving in the Armenian army in 2007.
Photo taken in collaboration with Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor.
Photo taken by: Peter Schön (autumn 2012)
Leica Fotografie International X1 Mastershot
Village mostly inhabited by refugees in Lori Marz.
Photo taken by: Peter Schön (autumn 2012)
Two Armenian refugees in a village, near Vanadzor. They fled Azerbaijan during the 1988-1994 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The village was formerly inhabited by Azeris, who themselves had to flee Armenia for Azerbaijan.
Photo taken during a photo project about refugees in the South Caucasus, in collaboration with Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor.
Photo taken by: Peter Schön (autumn 2012)
M7, Zeiss ZM Sonnar C 1.5/50, B+W yellow filter and Ilford FP4+ (in ID-11, 1+3)
Village mostly inhabited by refugees in Lori Marz.
Photo taken by: Peter Schön (autumn 2012)
Nina (80), a refugee from Baku in her room in a former prison near Yerevan, where she has been living now for 23 years.
Photo taken in cooperation with UNHCR and Mission Armenia.
Photo taken by: Peter Schön (autumn 2012)
Leica Fotografie International X1 Mastershot and Category Europe
Village mostly inhabited by refugees in Lori Marz.
Photo taken by: Peter Schön (winter 2012)
