NGOs to tighten supervision over asylum-seekers` living conditions 

ArmInfo. In Armenia, control by public organizations over the living conditions of persons granted  asylum will be strengthened. At a meeting on April 2, the Commission of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia issued a positive conclusion on the draft amendments to the law "On Refugees and  Asylum."

As the head of the Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry  of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Armen Kazaryan noted  in his speech, the bill invites public organizations to form groups  to monitor the living conditions of persons entitled to asylum.  Monitoring groups will be formed on a tender basis, the procedure for  which will be approved by the Minister of Internal Affairs. This  initiative, Kazaryan continued, is part of the reform process being  carried out in the structures of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It  is aimed at ensuring transparency in the activities of the department  and protecting human rights. Thus, the speaker continued, cooperation  between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and public organizations  will be given an institutional character. The head of the Service  emphasized that currently a number of organizations have a similar  right, including the office of the Human Rights Defender.

Ghazaryan also said that in 2020, 206 foreign citizens received  asylum in Armenia, in 2021 - 260. During this period, we were mainly  talking about citizens of Syria, Iraq and Egypt. In 2022-2023, due to  the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, the number of requests increased  sharply. Thus, in 2022, 968 people received asylum, in 2023 - 817,  mostly Ukrainians.