Armenia
Country information
Armenia is located in the Southern Caucasus and borders on Azerbaijan, the Azeri exclave Nagorno-Karabakh, Georgia, Iran and Turkey. The capital city is called Yerevan. The country has a surface area of 29.800 square kilometers, almost three-quarters that of the Netherlands. According to different sources Armenia has approximately 3 million inhabitants. The population consists of the following ethnic groups: 97,9 percent Armenians, 1,3 percent Yezidi and Kurds, 0,5 percent Russians and 0,3 percent other, including ethnic Ukrainians, Assyrians, Greeks, Jews, Poles, Georgians, White Russians and Germans. Armenian is an Indo-European language with a number of grammatical and phonetic similarities with Georgian and a number of words originating from Iranian languages. However the majority of the Armenian vocabulary is unique.
Partner organization
Caritas Armenia
On arrival in Armenia MBT can offer reintegration support through its partner organization. Upon arrival the client can claim a financial contribution. This sum is not received in cash but is spent under supervision of the partner organization on providing the means necessary for building a sustainable future in Armenia.
In Armenia MBT works together with its partner Caritas Armenia, based in Yerevan. In addition to up-to-date country information Caritas Armenia offers returnees the following support tailored to their individual needs: reception at the airport; finding adequate housing; assistance in finding work or setting up income generating activities; support in accessing psychosocial organizations and training institutions; legal support through their own lawyer and social assistant.
Example of return to Armenia
A tennis school in Armenia
In 2008 a young man returned to Armenia. He dreamed of starting a tennis school there. In his application to MBT he asked for assistance in realizing his dream. With support from the HIT foundation and our Armenian partner he was able to rent a tennis court. For a period of three months the rent was paid and he was supplied with tennis rackets, nets and other equipment. This enabled him to start giving tennis lessons and become financially self-sufficient.
Related research
'Return migration to Armenia', Monitoring the embeddedness of returnees', Ms. Alice Johansson, CIDIN Nijmegen & AMIDst UvA Amsterdam, Jan. 2008.
Contact
Evan van Gestel, 030-7551580, e.vgestel@maatwerkbijterugkeer.nl