France reclassifies Armenia as "unsafe"  

During the first ten months of 2010, 1,361 citizens of the RoA have applied for asylum in France. (Among them 297 are adolescents and 254 undergoing a second case review) According to 2009 data, in terms of those requesting asylum in France, Armenia ranks third by the number of applicants. The number of asylum seekers from Armenia didn’t decrease even despite France’s decision to include Armenia in the list of “safe” countries. Furthermore, the great number of applications was again a cause for review.

The change was not long in coming. On July 23, 2010, France issued another decision reassigning Armenia to the list of “unsafe” countries. Turkey was also relegated to the list of “unsafe” countries. The decision cited the continuing political victimization of Armenia’s opposition and acts of physical violence against Turks of Kurdish origin and restrictions placed on freedom of expression in Turkey.

March 1st events remain main argument

Today, asylum seekers from Armenia use the same arguments - they highlight the March 1 events. The truth about these events and the truth about the real victims are difficult to expose. Every week France’s “Cour National de Droit D'asile” (National Asylum Court) reviews dozens of cases of Armenian asylum seekers. The hearings are mostly open to public. I did my best to partake in the hearings to better get familiar with the reasons and motives of the Armenian asylum seekers “Are you an Armenian,” a young couple asked me in Armenian in the court corridor. “Armenians recognize each other at once,” we started joking. They told me that they had arrived in France a year ago and had a one year old son. They asked about my reasons for coming to France. I was honest about my being a journalist and promised not to publish their names. I then questioned them about the real reason they came to France. “Like everyone does; by twisting the March 1 events in our favor. But we took part in the rallies,” they said. Though they trusted and spoke openly with me, they notified their French barrier of my presence. The barrister asked the judge for a closed session. “Someone was sent from Armenia to register the names, and my defendants ask for a closed session,” he said. The judge complied with that request. Thus, I didn’t hear the couple’s story. If the court decides in favor of the couple, then Armenia will obviously lose another young family.

“Armenian police beat my husband”

“Our policemen were beasts - they hit and persecuted my husband. We spent really hard days without my husband,” declared an RA citizen during another case hearing. Her husband was a member of HHZh (Armenian National Movement) who participated in the Marc 1st events and subsequently   persecuted by the police. “I was being accused of various crimes like theft and use of weapons.” The family (with three underage kids) had abandoned the village where they used to live in Armenia, and had come to France to apply for asylum due to one reason - they could not stand that situation any more. In court, the husband and the young son said they overcame the stress they had undergone during the March 1st events with the help of French psychologists. Presently the children go to school and show good progress. The husband doesn’t complain about his health. After the asylum hearing, the   couple said that they have an apartment. Being inspired by the children’s advancement the teachers took care that the kids worked - they pick apples from the garden next to the school. I asked them if they regretted leaving Armenia. “I left my sick mom there. Most importantly, we are here with the whole family. Nevertheless, I would prefer to be in Armenia,” she said with tears in her eyes. The family has political reasons to ask for asylum in France. I do my best to believe   what was said in the court, and to refrain from any type of interpretation. Nevertheless, the statements made there were truthful. Whether or not their reasons convinced the court will be known in two weeks, once a decision is reached. Sometimes when the story seems untrue, or there is lack of proper documentation, the court doubts the authenticity of the request In this case, March 1 turns into nothing but a pretext. The stories sometimes turn out to be beyond the scope of all probability. I think to myself why it is that Armenians leave their motherland and apply for asylum in a country where they don’t even know the language.

Who says that 40% wish to leave Armenia?

“They say that 40% of the people of Armenian want to leave. I don’t know where this statistic comes from,” Patrick Arabian, a French-Armenian lawyer says. He usually defends the rights of asylum seekers, including those from Armenia. The lawyer often visits Armenia and is aware of the country’s internal life. “I fully agree with the decision to remove Armenia from the list of safe countries,” he said. “It’s the only correct decision. It has been correct ever since the consolidation of authority and lack of democracy in Armenia. First, there is no equality in the justice system - there is too much corruption. There is also the violence that occurs in the army, the inequality in gender relations and the imperfect elections,” he argues The opposition is deprived of the right to use the TV airwaves. I don’t understand why Armenia shouldn’t be included in the list of unsafe nations when the same set of issues plague other countries included in that list - Georgia, Azerbaijan and Russia,” he said. He also referred to the issue of the Yezidis in Armenia. According to 2009 data, among the Armenians who applied for asylum in France there were also Yezidis, who said they were being persecuted by the local Armenian clans. Arabian noted that the allocation of lands in Yezidi-populated areas, mostly the rich pasturelands, was unfairly carried out. In addition, most Yezidis cannot register the lands they have worked for years as their private property. “But all in all, I have no right to say that Armenians treat the Yezidis badly,” Arabian says.

Asylum rejections on the rise

As the lawyer states, the court decisions differ - the applications are either approved or rejected. The number of rejections has increased since 2005-2007.  The last French asylum court decision, to reclassify Armenia as an “unsafe” country, has not considerably changed the course of the asylum   hearings. Naturally, many Armenians seeking asylum will take advantage of the decision and use it to justify their reasons for leaving. Those most benefitting from this decision will be the “case fixers” who make a tidy living off the plight of the asylum seekers. They are the people   who are masters in preparing all the necessary documents - exit permits, false documents and advice on asylum applications. All the Armenians whom I met in the court admitted to having reached France via Moscow through the services of such Armenian “fixers”.

P.S. A French friend asked me who did all those people fight and die for in Artsakh if  Armenians are leaving their country in droves.  I didn’t know what to say in reply.