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The main directions of Armenia’s strategic program on migration and citizenship were discussed at a meeting chaired by Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia said in a press release that Sargsyan emphasized that significant changes in migration flows require new management approaches and effective mechanisms.
Armenia has shifted from being a country of emigration to a destination and transit country, she said.
In 2025, for the first time since independence, a positive migration balance was recorded in border crossings by Armenian citizens, and the positive trend continued in the first half of 2026.
Sargsyan stressed the importance of clarifying the strategic approaches to migration policy and adopting the document by the end of the year. The discussion also addressed the reassessment of the institution of citizenship. Following extensive discussions in this area, a legislative initiative has already been developed and is under active discussion. The need to institutionalize visa policy was also emphasized.
Tigran Jrbashyan, head of the team working on Armenia’s Strategic Program on Migration Policy, presented the progress of the strategy’s development, emphasizing the importance of cooperation between the Ministry of Internal Affairs, relevant state bodies, and international partners. According to him, the strategy is a document of national importance, whose effective implementation requires joint efforts and unified approaches.
The strategy’s main directions are migration and citizenship management, integration and reintegration policy, the principles governing the voluntary and forced return of foreign nationals, and the institution of international protection in Armenia. During the discussion, participants emphasized the importance of addressing sector-specific issues, deepening cooperation between state bodies, developing data systems, ensuring interoperability, and exchanging information. International partners addressed strengthening the capacity of the asylum system, protecting refugees’ rights, promoting legal, regular, and safe migration, and preventing irregular migration.
Following an active discussion, the officials presented their observations and proposals, and an agreement was reached to finalize the draft strategy.
Those present included Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Security MP Vilen Gabrielyan; Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Armen Ghazaryan; Head of the Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Nelli Davtyan; and representatives of the International Organization for Migration, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Armenia, and relevant government agencies.
The discussion was organized within the framework of a joint program of the International Organization for Migration and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, co-funded by the European Union.