refugees Archives

Syrian-Armenian refugees opened the AVA shoe factory in Yerevan. Check out their story! “VIDEO”

May 28, 2016 by administrator

Syrian Armenian setup Shoe factory in Armenia

We build other countries time to build our country Mr. Dolmoghlian said. asking all armenian to come and join the reconstruction of Armenia.

In 2014, three Syrian-Armenian refugees, the father-and-son team Kevork and Antranig Safar and Viken Dolmoghlian, opened the AVA shoe factory in Yerevan.

With decades of experience in shoemaking, the partners produce high-quality, fashionable footwear for both the local and international markets, and have opened a retail store which proudly bears the “Made in Armenia” label.

Their business has not only created jobs, but is helping revive the art of traditional shoemaking in Armenia.

For the Armenian version, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVvqg…).

Analysis: The role of Armenia in the Syrian refugee crisis

May 22, 2016 by administrator

Syrian refugees Photo Credit: Kurdnas

May 22, 2016, 8:00Pm

By Rachel Avraham

While many countries are now seeking quotas limiting Syrian immigration, Armenia has accepted numerous Syrian Armenian, Yazidi and Assyrian refugees even though they have a 17% unemployment rate and are a small country the size of the State of Maryland that is currently embroiled in a political conflict with Azerbaijan. For these refugees, despite the difficulties associated with living in Armenia, it is still better than Syria.

A recent report published by Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently highlighted that out of the 80,000 Armenians who used to live in Syria prior to the Civil War, since 2011, over 17,000 Syrians of Armenian heritage have decided to move to Armenia, where 80 percent of them have decided to remain: “Ethnic Armenians fleeing Syria are finding safe routes to their ancestral homeland, where they are welcomed, resettled and provided citizenship within a few months.”

Like the State of Israel, Armenia offers a right of return to all ethnic Armenians which seek to return to the land of their ancestors via a simplified procedure. “Armenia is home to all people of Armenian background,” said civic activist Ara Sisserian, who lives in Armenian capital city of Yerevan and advocates for newcomers from Syria. “Those Armenians coming from Syria come here because they consider this as their motherland.”

According to the Economist, Armenia, a small country the size of the State of Maryland, has accepted the third largest proportion of Syrian refugees relative to its general population. According to the Huffington Post, while most of the Syrian refugees fleeing to Armenia are Armenians, also Assyrians and Yazidis have been welcomed into the country. Anahit Khosroeva, an Assyrian community activist, leading researcher at the Institute of History and former professor of Chicago University, stated: “We were told by the migration service authorities that the Assyrians would be helped and protected in Armenia just like the Syrian Armenian refugees.”

The report stresses that the Armenian government has been providing the Syrian refugees with free health insurance, scholarships, and has been helping refugees to establish start-ups in a special program in cooperation with UNHCR. They also have an adopt-a-family program, where Syrian refugees are matched with an Armenian host family who helps them integrate into Armenia. As a result, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has thanked Armenia for their efforts. But to date, Armenia has not been receiving the foreign assistance that Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan have. Given that 17% of Armenians are unemployed and the country is presently engaged in a political conflict with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region that has escalated in recent times, the lack of foreign assistance presents complications for the Armenian authorities in absorbing the refugees. Nevertheless, the Armenian authorities seem determined to continue assisting Syrian refugees at a time when many places are closing their doors to them.

According to Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, Armenians have a long history of living in Syria but since the civil war has broken out, the Armenian community has faced religious and social persecution. When it comes to ISIS, the Armenian community is facing genocide just like the Yazidis are. “The Armenian population has dramatically dropped,” Reverend Haroutioun Selimian, head of a relief organization for Syrian Armenians in Aleppo, told VOA. “Their rights are being violated and their lives are at risk… Ninety Armenian churches are completely or partially destroyed.”

A report from Christian Today earlier this month highlighted that ISIS has been torching Christian homes, raping and torturing Christian girls, and slaughtering them while leaving their disfigured body parts in plastic bags for their relatives to discover. Other Christians have been forced to convert to Islam, beheaded, crucified and deported. The more fortunate ones are forced to wear Islamic dress and pay the Jizya tax while their land is confiscated and the people are utilized as human shields in order to protect ISIS terrorists from the International Coalition against ISIS. According to the US Congress and US Secretary of State John Kerry, these actions constitute genocide.

According to the Armenian National Committee of America: “ANCA welcomes the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s passage of H.Con.Res.75 as an important step in elevating our government’s response to genocide from a political choice to a moral imperative. We cannot continue to treat the recognition of genocide as a geopolitical commodity, to be bartered or bargained away. Our stand against genocide must be unconditional.”

Given these conditions, many Syrian Armenians are desperately seeking to reach Armenia. During the beginning of the Civil War, there were direct flights between Aleppo and Yerevan but those have since been cut off. Now, Armenians are forced to utilize under-ground smuggling networks to Lebanon and from there, they can fly to Armenia.

One of the Syrian Armenians who has recently settled in Yerevan is Adriana: “Contrary to our advice from our local Armenian leaders asking us to stay, my husband and I lost our patience and fled Aleppo in December. We drove our car all the way to the border. With the help of an underground Armenian escape network, we managed to cross the border. After spending almost three months in Lebanon, we flew to Armenia.” According to her, she finally feels safe for when she was leaving Syria, ISIS was approaching their neighborhood. For Armenians like Adriana and her husband, despite the difficulties associated with living in Armenia, it is still significantly better than Syria and many other Middle Eastern countries.

Armenian Assembly of America urges congress to direct $15mn in aid to Armenia for Syrian refugees

May 11, 2016 by administrator

default WASHINGTON, DC – Citing corrupt practices, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has suspended 14 entities and individuals involved with humanitarian aid programs operating from Turkey, reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly).

“Given this latest development, the Assembly renews its call that $15 million be provided in refugee assistance and resettlement programs to help Syrians in Armenia,” stated Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. “We urge Armenian Americans to contact Congress and make their voices heard to help ensure relief aid reaches those in need,” added Ardouny.

“USAID OIG’s investigation has identified corrupt practices involving a number of these programs operating from Turkey,” according to a May 6 statement from USAID OIG. “The investigation to date has identified a network of commercial vendors, NGO employees, and others who have colluded to engage in bid-rigging and multiple bribery and kickback schemes related to contracts to deliver humanitarian aid in Syria.”

The Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR) reported that Armenia “stands out as a rare example of integration” and refugees are “welcomed by ordinary people and supported by the Yerevan government.”

The Assembly urges the U.S. government to consider allocating at least $15 million in refugee assistance to Armenia

Turkey continues killing, beating Syrian refugees, Human Rights Watch

May 10, 2016 by administrator

Human Rights Watch says Turkish border guards are continuing to shoot and beat Syrian refugees trying to cross into Turkey, calling on the country to investigate abuses.

Turkish border guards in March and April used excessive force against Syrians and a smuggler trying to reach Turkey, killing five people, including a child, and injuring 14 others, the group said on Tuesday.

Human Rights Watch, which interviewed victims, witnesses, and Syrian locals said eight of the injured refugees were shot while the other six were severely assaulted.

“While senior Turkish officials claim they are welcoming Syrian refugees with open borders and open arms, their border guards are killing and beating them,” said Gerry Simpson, a senior HRW refugee researcher.

“Firing at traumatized men, women, and children fleeing fighting and indiscriminate warfare is truly appalling,” Simpson added.

The rights group also urged Ankara to abide by international laws and stop attacking refugees or banning them from crossing the borders.

The New-York based watchdog also called on Turkish authorities to investigate the excessive use of force by the Turkish border guards.

Turkey has banned Syrians from crossing into the country since at least mid-August 2015.

The report said the Turkish border guards even fired at Syrians living near Turkey’s borders as they approached to recover victims at the border wall after the shootings and assaults.

Turkey and the European Union sealed a controversial deal intended to stem the flow of refugees from Syria and other troubled countries to Europe via Turkey in return for financial and political rewards for Ankara.

“The EU shouldn’t just stand by and watch as Turkey uses live ammunition and rifle butts to stem the refugee flow,” said Simpson.

“EU officials should recognize that their red light for refugees to enter the EU gives Turkey a green light to close its border, exacting a heavy price on war-ravaged asylum seekers with nowhere else to go,” he said.

Source: Presstv

Greece: Pope brings 12 Syrian refugees back with him after Lesbos visit

April 16, 2016 by administrator

In a clear signal to Europe, Pope Francis has allowed three refugee families to accompany him on his charter plane. Francis was on the Greek island of Lesbos to shed light on the refugees’ plight.

The Vatican said on Saturday that Francis’ decision was a “gesture of welcome” for the hundreds of thousands of refugees that have arrived on the Greek island of Lesbos as they flee war and poverty in the Middle East, Central Asia and Afghanistan.

Three families – two from Damascus and one from the “Islamic State”-held Deir el-Zour – accompanied the pope on his charter plane to Italy. The group of refugees totaled 12 people, including the six children.

“Today I renew my heartfelt plea for responsibility and solidarity in the face of this tragic situation,” Francis said.

A ‘common humanity’

Lots were drawn to decide which individuals would be allowed to go with the pope, reported DW correspondent Bernd Riegert, who was on the scene as the plane departed.

The refugee families, which include six children, are to be taken in by the Vatican and will be initially cared for by the Rome-based lay community of Sant’Egidio.

An emotional meeting

Overwhelmed by the Francis’ visit, refugees reportedly sobbed and fell to their knees in his presence. Some even reportedly asked to be blessed by him.

After the visit, Francis had lunch with some of the refugees and then, along with the head of the Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and the head of the Orthodox Church of Greece, Athens Archbishop Ieronymos II, signed a declaration calling for their protection.

Refugees were also seen holding signs emblazoned with slogans such as “Pope you are our hope,” “please save Yazidi people,” “we are also human” and “Welcome Pope Francis.”

blc/rc (AP, Reuters, AFP)

Turkish Extortion: No visa-free travel, no migrant deal, says Turkey’s EU minister

April 16, 2016 by administrator

gagrulenet

VIENNA,

Turkey’s minister for European Union affairs and its chief negotiator with the bloc, Volkan Bozkır, said if the EU does not grant Turkish citizens visa-free travel, Turkey could stop accepting migrants sent from Greece.

“If the EU does not grant visa-free travel [to Turkish citizens] then we can suspend the readmission agreement. This is a bargain. If there is no visa [liberty] then there is no readmission,” said Bozkır on April 13 during his visit to Austrian capital.

Bozkır was referring to the deal signed between the EU and Turkey on March 18, when the sides agreed on a scheme to curb the flow of migrants into the bloc.

Turkey agreed to take back all migrants landing on Greece as of March 20, while the EU would take back the same amount of Syrian refugees from Turkey. In exchange for the migrants returned to Turkey, the EU agreed to grant Turkish citizens visa-free travel in EU’s Schengen area, and pledged to give a total of 6 million euros until the end of 2018 to be used to fund better living conditions for Syrians in Turkey.

Bozkır said April 12 that Turkish nationals could expect vise-free travel to the EU by June.

“We expect that the decision for the citizens of the Republic of Turkey to enter the Schengen zone without visa requirement will be made before the end of June,” Bozkır said, following a meeting with Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders on April 12.

Meanwhile, Kati Piri, rapporteur for Turkey at the European Parliament, said April 13 that she did not believe the free-visa travel would be ready for this summer, citing technical issues.

“Turkey has made a visible progress in the last two years but there are technical issues that need to be handled before the lifting of the visas; I do not believe it will be ready for June,” said Piri, according to the website of private broadcaster CNNTürk.

Source: hurriyetdailynews

April/14/2016

Armenia is ready to welcome more Syrian refugees

April 1, 2016 by administrator

Armenia is ready to welcome even more of Armenian refugees in Syria and hopes that the Armenian Diaspora in western countries contribute to their integration, said Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan during a visit to the United States in the evening of Wednesday 30 March. Speaking to the representatives of the Armenian community of Boston, he recalled that the Armenian community of Syria was threatened with extinction, and its rich heritage there was partly destroyed. Having called for help of Armenia’s partners, he appealed to the Diaspora to assist Armenia in its efforts to host other Armenian refugees from Syria. “It is painful for us to see the destruction of the Armenian community in the Middle East.

But perhaps is it a lesser evil if the overwhelming majority of its members stood in his homeland [ancestral]. It would be a sort of consolation for us, “said Sargsyan, adding,” the loss of this once thriving community is really painful, but we must do everything in our power to at least help those who have left [Syria ] has joined Armenia “.He recalled that it already had 20 000, which made Armenia the third host country for Syrian refugees in proportion to the Armenian population.

Syria hosted an estimated 80,000 Armenians, who are almost all of them descendants of survivors of the Armenian genocide of 1915. Only 10,000 of them are still in this country ravaged by war .

While rapidly granting them residence permits and even citizenship, Yerevan authorities her so far refrained from openly encourage the Syrian Armenians to take refuge in their ancestral homeland. They had also resisted local calls for the evacuation of the remaining Armenians in Syria. Sargsyan seems to mark out a change in this policy.

Armenian President insisted that his administration to do more to ensure that these refugees a “dignified life”. “We quickly grant them citizenship, free education and grants for medical services, business creation and rebuilding their lives in Armenia,” he has said. Many complain, however, their difficulty in finding decent jobs and pay their accommodation.

Sarkisian also praised the Armenian-American charities that have provided emergency aid to Syrian Armenians. But he made it clear that they should do more.

Yerevan also hopes to get financial assistance from foreign governments and international donor agencies. The Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian appealed to the international community of donors Wednesday at a United Nations conference in Geneva on the crisis of Syrian refugees.

Jordan’s King Abdullah says Turkey is deliberately ‘unleashing’ Isis terrorists into Europe,

March 27, 2016 by administrator

The Jordanian monarch is angered by the EU’s newfound closeness with the autocratic Turkish regime Dan Kitwood/PA Wire/Press Association Images

‘The fact that terrorists are going to Europe is part of Turkish policy’

BY Matt Broomfield,

(independent.co.uk) Turkey is exporting Isis-linked terrorists to Europe, according to King Abdullah of Jordan.

The monarch’s remarks came in a meeting with members of the US Congress, in which he said that Islamist militants were being “manufactured in Turkey” and “unleashed” into Europe.

He also used the debriefing, held after a cancelled rendezvous with US President Barack Obama, to remind the US politicians of Turkey’s alleged complicity in buying Isis oil.

“The fact that terrorists are going to Europe is part of Turkish policy,” said King Abdullah. “Turkey keeps on getting a slap on the hand, but they are let off the hook.”

Arguing that the autocratic Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan believes in a “radical Islamic solution to the region”, King Abdullah said.

“Turkey sought a religious solution to Syria, while we are looking at moderate elements in the south and Jordan pushed for a third option that would not allow a religious option.”

The meeting was held on 11 January, but details of the King’s opinions have only just been leaked by Middle East Eye.

Although Turkey and Jordan are officially allies, the refugee crisis has heightened tensions between the two nations. King Abdullah is understood to have been angered by the EU’s generous offer of cash and diplomatic ties in return for Turkey limiting the onward flow of refugees into the continent.

At roughly 75 million, Turkey’s population is over ten times that of Jordan’s, meaning the Arab nation is hosting a proportionately greater number of refugees.

Speaking to politicians including John McCain and Paul Ryan, King Abdullah also claimed that Jordanian special forces with “some balls” were involved in covert operations in Syria.

Though the presence of Jordanian soldiers could not be confirmed, the nation has certainly been involved in training opposition fighters, espionage, providing weapons and ammunition and a limited number of air strikes.

But if their role in the conflict increases, they are likely to come into further friction with other key players in the region, particularly Turkey and Russia. In his debriefing with the American politicians, the Jordanian monarch described a tense stand-off between Turkish, Israeli and Russian war planes.

The EU sells its soul to strike a deal with Turkey – The Financial Times

March 21, 2016 by administrator

_{By Wolfgang Münchau}

The EU had two assets I have always considered un¬assailable, however much I may have questioned various decisions. The first is a lack of alternatives. How else can Europeans confront climate change, a refugee crisis or an over-assertive Russian president if not through the EU?

The second is the moral high ground. Compared with the majority of its member states, the EU is less corrupt, more principled and rules-driven. Whereas the world of national politics is full of tacticians out to seek short-term gain, the bloc manages a better mix of politics and policies. It builds broad coalitions and formulates strategic policy objectives. Its horizon extends beyond the life of a parliament.

Within a few years those assets have been demolished. The mismanagement of the eurozone crisis made it possible to formulate a rational economic argument for an exit.
Then, on Friday the EU lost its other key asset. The deal with Turkey is as sordid as anything I have seen in modern European politics. On the day that EU leaders signed the deal, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, gave the game away: “Democracy, freedom and the rule of law . . . For us, these words have absolutely no value any longer.” At that point, the European Council should have ended the conversation with Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish prime minister, and sent him home. But instead they made a deal with him — money and a lot more in return for help with the refugee crisis.
Turkey will relocate some 72,000 refugees to the EU — a one-for-one swap for every illegal immigrant whom the Turks pick up on smuggler boats in the Aegean Sea. In return, the EU is paying Turkey €6bn and opening up a new chapter in EU accession negotiations — this with a country whose leadership has just abrogated democracy. The EU is further set to allow visa-free travel to 75m inhabitants of Turkey. The EU not only sold its soul that day, it actually negotiated a pretty lousy deal.
I am not in a position to judge whether this deal complies with the Geneva Convention and other parts of international law. I assume that the European Council has made sure it would stand up in court. But even if it is judged to be legal, I have doubts whether it can be implemented. It will be interesting to watch whether the EU will renege on its promises to Turkey if Ankara fails to deliver.
Even if the deal is implemented in full, it will not lighten the pressure much. The expected number of refugees making their way into the EU will be a large multiple of the 72,000 agreed with Turkey. A German think-tank has done the maths on refugee flows for this year and has come up with an estimated range of 1.8m-6.4m. The latter figure is a worst-case scenario that would include large numbers from Northern Africa.
The closure of the west Balkan route for refugees — from Greece through Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and then into Austria and Germany — brought short-term relief to north Europeans but there are numerous alternative routes refugees can take. They can go through the Caucasus and the Ukraine, or through the Mediterranean into Italy and Spain. If countries close their borders, they do not reduce the stream of refugees but simply divert them. It is a classic example of a beggar-thy-neighbour policy. This shows that the case for anchoring refugee policy at EU level is overwhelming.
One of the most egregious cases of unilateral action is Austria’s border closures. The country will now reintroduce controls at its main border post to Italy — on the Brenner motorway. This is one of the busiest routes between southern and northern Europe. Once the refugees arrive in Italy, expect more action at its northern borders. France, Switzerland and Slovenia can be counted on to reintroduce controls at that point. Italy would then be cut off from the Schengen passport-free travel area, of which it is a member, and Schen¬gen would become a small club of north European countries — possibly a model for a future eurozone. This would be the first step in the fragmentation of the EU.
The agreement with Turkey will also have an impact on the UK referendum debate. Would the camp in favour of leaving the EU not have something to say about visa-free travel for 75m Turks? Anyone who cares about democracy and human rights will hate this deal. So will anyone who fears German dominance of the EU, since it was initiated by Angela Merkel. The German chancellor needed it badly to get her out of a hole of her own making. It was her unilateral decision to open Germany’s borders that turned a manageable refugee crisis into an unmanageable one.
It is not easy to make a purely rational case for Britain’s exit from the EU. But when the EU loses its moral high ground, we should not be surprised that people begin to question what it stands for, and why it is needed.

Syria: Report reveals at least 50,000 deaths and a million refugees in 2015

March 12, 2016 by administrator

In a new report entitled “Fueling the Fire,” which was released on Friday, a group of non-government organizations (NGOs) described the fifth year of Syria’s civil war as the worst yet, with at least 50,000 deaths and almost a million civilians forced to flee their homes, Deutsche Welle informs.

The report by charities including CARE International, Oxfam, Action Aid, Save The Children and several Syrian groups, said some 200,000 homes had been partly or completely destroyed, an increase of 20 percent from 2014.

According to the 33-page document, around 1.5 million more people were in need of humanitarian aid and an additional 400,000 children were no longer in school due to the violence.

The authors of the report put the responsibility for the caused deaths and damages both on Russia’s air campaign, which began in September and the US-led coalition, which had caused deaths and damage to civilian areas through its aerial bombardments. France and the UK, which were late in joining the US-led coalition to conduct airstrikes, also came under criticism, between them spending hundreds of millions of dollars on weapons, the document claimed.

The source reminds that since the conflict erupted on March 11 2011, more than half of Syria’s pre-war population of 22.4 million people has been internally displaced or forced to flee their homeland.
UN estimates from last August put the total death toll from nearly five years of civil war at more than a quarter of a million.