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Armenia Seeks To Boost Population


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BBC Article

 

Armenia's parliament has passed a dual nationality bill which allows the granting of citizenship to emigres in the huge Armenian diaspora.

Armenia has a population of 3.2 million but the diaspora is estimated to be some eight million. Many of them live in Russia, France, Iran and the US.

 

Ethnic Armenians who speak Armenian would benefit, as would foreigners married to an Armenian.

 

The diaspora's remittances are crucial for Armenia's economy.

 

Armenians backed dual citizenship in a November 2005 referendum. It abolished a clause in the constitution which barred dual nationality.

 

The Armenian diaspora is 2,000 years old, but its size increased dramatically after the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks from 1915 to 1917.

 

According to the National Bank of Armenia, remittances from the diaspora are double the size of the country's budget.

 

Armenia is a small landlocked country. It still has bitter disputes with its neighbours Turkey and Azerbaijan. The influence of Russia - formerly Armenia's colonial master - remains strong.

 

 

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I was not aware this is the new law in Armenia. Does anyone have more information on this. What are the requierements for gaining Armenian citizenship for diaspora Armenians?

 

I'm finding it difficult to get the specifics on the dual-citizen process. All I ever hear or read about it is that Armenian will accept dual citizenship, but they are still working on the list of requirements.

I'm really curious about this too.

 

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Not just them... It would be a big boost for national morale if they start a program for dual-citizens to serve as volunteers.

 

I hope military service is not optional...this way I could join and no one would have the right to call me crazy.

 

Anyway, here's an current article on the subject wich shed a little more light on the requirements:

 

 

INSTITUTE OF DOUBLE CITIZENSHIP TO BE INTRODUCED IN ARMENIA

 

Arminfo

2007-02-20 13:51:00

 

RA Parliament has passed today a bill on introducing changes and

additions to the Law on Citizenship.

 

As RA Justice Minister, David Haroutyunyan, noted in his speech,

the bill envisages that a citizen of Armenia is authorized to be a

citizen of another state as well. Three categories of citizens may

claim to receive a double citizenship. The first group includes the

citizens of foreign states, who have reached the age of 18, who have

been living in the Republic's territory for the last three years,

who know the Armenian language and the bases of RA Constitution. The

second group includes the persons which married the citizens of

Armenia or have a child being a citizen of Armenia.

 

The third group includes persons who have earlier been the citizens

of Armenia or a person born in the RA territory who, upon reaching

the age of 18, was authorized to address the relevant bodies to get

the Republic's citizenship.

 

The bill allows to give a citizenship to all the Armenians and to

all those who refused of RA citizenship after January 1, 1995.

 

The document also envisages to give a citizenship for exclusive

deserts before the country and then people. The citizens of Armenia,

who wish to get a citizenship of another state, have to notify the

relevant authoritative bodies about it. The positions in the Republic's

territory are taken only by the citizens of Armenia. The bill lays

down that the persons who had lost the citizenship of Armenia before

January 1, 1995, receive privileges also at the receipt of the

Republic's citizenship. The terms of considering the applications

for another categories of persons is fixed by 10 days.

 

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