As of September 2, more than 16,000 forcibly displaced persons from Artsakh have applied for Armenian citizenship, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Armen Ghazaryan told the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Defense and Security.
According to Ghazaryan, 11,259 individuals have already received Armenian citizenship by presidential decree, while more than 5,000 minors acquired citizenship following their parents’ applications and passport updates.
“This means over 16,000 of our compatriots from Nagorno-Karabakh have been granted Armenian citizenship,” Ghazaryan said, Sputnik Armenia reported.
The deputy minister added that steps are being taken to streamline the process. Citizenship applications are now processed through a centralized system, which will soon be expanded across the entire administrative framework.
“All our regional branches are already accepting applications from forcibly displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh. In Yerevan, we initially had one office, added another, and are working to expand further so that all city offices can accept applications. One of our mobile services has been collecting and submitting over 50 applications a day,” Ghazaryan noted.
He also stressed that the procedure for displaced persons has been simplified. Normally, acquiring citizenship takes at least 90 days, but for Nagorno-Karabakh residents, the process is completed in no more than two months.
On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale attack against Artsakh, subjecting the region to massive shelling. The following day, Artsakh authorities, under Russian peacekeepers’ mediation, agreed to a ceasefire, accepting Baku’s terms: disarmament of the Defense Army and dissolution of the Republic of Artsakh. Forced displacement began on September 24, with more than 100,000 people fleeing to Armenia. By some estimates, only about 20 Armenians remain in Artsakh. On September 28, Artsakh President Samvel Shahramanyan signed a decree dissolving the republic, effective January 1, 2024.
