Less than 3% of Karabakh Armenians Obtained Armenian Citizenship a Year After Mass Relocation

A year after the organized departure of the entire Armenian population from Nagorno-Karabakh, only 2.6% of the former Armenian residents of the region have obtained Armenian citizenship. According to the Armenian Migration Service, out of approximately 120,000 displaced individuals, only 3,226 people have received Armenian passports.

Prior to the 2020 war, Karabakh Armenians held special Armenian passports with the code "070," indicating their residence in Azerbaijan. Now, displaced individuals wishing to remain in Armenia have the option to replace these documents with full Armenian passports without any special markings.

Nelli Davtyan, Deputy Head of the Migration Service of the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs, explained that the low percentage of those obtaining citizenship is due to the desire of many to emigrate permanently to other countries or to retain their eligibility for refugee benefits. "Many prefer to maintain their status and have the opportunity to move to Europe or North America in the future," Davtyan stated.

According to Armenian media, including Sputnik Armenia, the majority of the displaced choose to leave Armenia permanently and settle in Russia, which hosts the largest Armenian diaspora community.