Refugees from Azerbaijan held a protest in front of the government building, calling on the Armenian authorities to solve their housing problems. The participants of the protest organized by the Voice of Refugees NGO held signs reading “Refugees from Azerbaijan” and “We’re Waiting for Approval of the Draft Decision”.

In an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am, President of the Voice of Refugees NGO Oksanna Musaelyan stated that the State Migration Service had previously prepared the draft of the government decision.

The draft decision implies a solution to the major issue facing 900 families in three stages. In the first stage, apartments will be provided to 112 families residing at Nairi and Sebastia hotels and the hostel located in a particular part of the city of Yerevan. According to the draft decision, the families will be granted certificates, and the terms and conditions will be described in the document.

“The problem is that the draft decision states that the operations will be launched in 2019. The year is almost over, but the government hasn’t approved the draft decision yet. We fear that the government officials will overlook the issue of the refugees by not approving the draft decision, and this issue will remain unsolved, just like in the past. With this protest, we are trying to draw the government’s attention to the refugees’ issue,” Oksanna Musaelyan stated.