42,809 Artsakh Armenians apply for temporary protection certificate

Our compatriots forcibly displaced from Artsakh, who received temporary protection from January 28, must have a temporary protection certificate along with their passports when traveling, Armen Ghazaryan, Head of the Migration and Citizenship Service of Armenia, announced on Friday, while presenting the progress of the work of the governmental ‘Humanitarian Center’ on rendering assistance to Artsakh Armenians.

The official explained that the temporary protection certificate means that the given person benefits from international protection; that is, they cannot be forcibly transferred to Azerbaijan under any circumstances.

According to Armen Ghazaryan, it is an additional protection measure for forcibly displaced persons from Artsakh during their travels.

The temporary protection certificate is valid for 1 year; it will be extended by the decision of the government.

“As of January 25, we have received 42,809 applications for a temporary protection certificate. The vast majority of applicants have already received it. The number of registered persons from Nagorno-Karabakh is around 50,000,” he added.

Armen Ghazaryan once again noted that the temporary protection certificate does not deprive the forcibly displaced persons of the social support programs provided by the Armenian government.