YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. As a result of labor migration, a new “split” or “distanced” family model is formed in Armenia, which according to experts cannot be considered as normal and healthy.

It is already 12 years 57-year-old Hayk Movsisyan departs for Russia on a seasonal work. He is a father of three children. He has worked in his profession as mechanic-engineer for many years before the country’s independence, and as he says he hasn’t faced any financial difficulties. But the situation changed after Independence, since a number of factories were closed, many people, including him, became unemployed and had to migrate to other countries for work.

Speaking about his family, Hayk says during those years he and his family faced many difficulties.

“It was very difficult to adapt to new status of our family. I remember when I left Armenia for the first time, my oldest son, who was the studying in the 5^th grade, faced great stress. He was not talking with me for a long time. My middle son became self-contained, he was trying to pretend that he is happy before my departure. Later my wife told me that he also had a big stress. They even applied to psychologist who has worked with my children for a certain period of time. Only my youngest son adapted to it relatively quickly, it is perhaps due to his age”, Hayk Movsisyan said.

Hayk returns to Armenia in winter and spends 2-3 months with his family.

20-year-old Emma Bojukyan is one of many children who has lived and is living in “split” family. It is already 6 years her parents have left for Russia to work.

She said being far away from parents has both positive and negative consequences. For instance, it can isolate you from people, it can create difficulties, however, on the contrary, it helps you to become strong, independent.

Speaking about this issue psychologist Naira Grigoryan says many Armenian families today face such issue.

Perceptions change, technology becomes means of communication

“Today there are many families in Armenia where the man of the family has left for abroad to work, and the remaining members of the family become stronger and organized by this trying to somehow fill the absence of the man, or sometimes trying to show the people that they are not becoming an “orphan”. But this strength lies in being incomplete. All family members are getting used to being incomplete. This is the latest stage of adaptation. People are getting used to not miss when the family members are not together. In other words, the psychological issues affect person’s inner world, thus changing his worldview”, she said.

Today the achievements of technology help to maintain families strong. This help to be constant contact with family members.

Armenia’s migration picture in numbers

The number of Armenian migrants is especially great in the CIS countries, especially in Russia. The data of Russia’s migration service prove this, according to which the number of Armenian citizens entering Russia was 365.100 in 2015.

Meline Gyulumyan