I’m in a Paris suburb, boarding a bus.

It’s the afternoon and the bus isn’t crowded. But it’s hard to see faces; everyone is either reading a book or hidden behind a telephone.

Suddenly, a phone rings. “Yeah, I’m on the bus right now,” I hear someone say in the dialect of Armenia.

I listen in to the conversation. “That Tibet woman is very slovenly. She doesn’t clean up after herself. When I tell her, she reprimands me. I don’t know what to do,” says the woman on the phone.

It’s a conversation full of complaints about her life in France and about the Tibetan neighbor she was allotted in the government housing project for people waiting for French residency papers.

After the economic crisis, the number of migrants seeking a new life in Europe has risen considerably. In 2013 the number of applicants to European Union member states has risen by 100,000 over the previous year, and stands at 435,000.  Syrians and Russians top the list.

Last year, 5,210 Armenian citizens applied for EU residence, a drop of 7%. This compares to 9,095 Georgian citizens who applied. However, the number of Armenian applicants doesn’t mean the exodus from Armenia to Europe hasn’t decreased overall.

France: The Preferred Country of Armenians

39% of Armenian citizens seeking refuge status apply to France, followed by Germany (25%), Belgium (8%), Sweden (6%) and Austria (5%).

Even though admittance criteria have become much more restrictive, France remains the destination of choice for Armenians. In 2013, 2,055 applied; a drop of 19%.

The admittance process can take up to several months, and the French government allocates housing,food and medical care to those waiting.

To speed up the process, something called “the safe countries list” is applied. Is someone applies from a country on that list, their case is expedited and the arguments for refugee status usually rejected.

Over the years, the reasons given by Armenians seeking refugee status have mainly remained the same – discrimination at home based on national identity or political persecution.

An Armenian woman, let’s call her Gohar, arrived in France in March 2013 with a relative and her son. The boy needed medical treatment. The relative and the boy have since returned to Armenia, not being able to withstand conditions. Gohar remained in France.

“I worked and suffered so much. I had to pay 4,000 Euros to get my papers. But this is no place to live. If only I could get some work off the books to have some money before returning,” Gohar tells me.

Gohar tells me she really doesn’t know how she got her papers. Maybe she just doesn’t want to say. All she said was that she arrived in France via Italy and was escorted by a stranger. When she arrived, she was given a telephone number, with instructions what to say, for homeless social services.

“For the first seven to eight months I lived like that. Then they gave me housing. That’s how I live,” she said.

Tigran, let’s call him that, has been in France since last November. After arriving he gave himself up and applied for refugee status for political reasons. His case is pending.

I first met Tigran in April. He was sickly and had been evicted from the government housing he was staying because it closed in the winter. He couldn’t find another place to live via social services. He lived rough, on the streets for more than a week.

“I was in hospital for a week. They’ve provided me with a place to sleep. But I have to leave every day at eight in the morning and return at ten at night,” he said.

When I asked if he didn’t regret coming to France Tigran answered, “No, but I never pictured it would be like this.”

“They told me that here they give 300 Euros a month. But I’ve yet to receive any money,” Gohar said. “They help everybody but the Armenians. Our president came here and told them not to accept Armenians. Now, they are all giving in to the Russians.”

Of course, President Sargsyan’s visit to France had nothing to do with Armenia’s inclusion in the “safe countries” list. Georgia, Moldova and others are on the list.

Gohar’s application was eventually rejected. She’s appealed the decision and is awaiting the outcome. If the decision is upheld, she will be forced to return to Armenia.

Armineh, again not her real name, is a retiree who arrived in France from Russia with her daughter’s family. Her application was also rejected. She had been receiving a monthly 300 Euro stipend but it was cut.

Armineh says she gets by with food distributed by charitable organizations. She’s thinking of returning.

“I put my house up as collateral to help out my daughter and bring the family here from Russia. How can I go back,” she asks.

In 2013, only 465 Armenian citizens were accepted as refugees in all EU countries combined. 5,035 applications were rejected.

In France, the Office of Immigration and Integration (L’Office Français de l’Immigration et de l’Intégration), provides monetary assistance to those   who voluntarily decide to return to Armenia. The program is carried out by the Association Arménienne d’Aide Sociale (AAAS).

According to the AAAS, 226 individuals voluntarily returned to Armenia in 2013.

Some of those whose applications are rejected are forced to return. The majority, however, goes underground, attempting to stay in France illegally.

If caught, they are subject to eviction as well.

Data sources: 2013 Eurostat Report; 2013 L’Office Français de l’Immigration et de l’Intégration Report