MP says displaced Artsakh Armenians face hurdles in citizenship process

A lawmaker from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) accused the Armenian authorities of deliberately creating obstacles for forcibly displaced Karabakh Armenians seeking Armenian citizenship, alleging the measures are politically motivated ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections.

Metakse Hakobyan, a member of the Justice faction in the Artsakh National Assembly, told Panorama.am on Tuesday that displaced Artsakh Armenians have encountered “multiple and varied obstacles” in applying for citizenship.

“Obstacle is a mild word to discribe the situation,” Hakobyan said, adding that she and her colleagues have met displaced families across Armenia who described difficulties in navigating the process.

“Obviously, these obstacles are being created intentionally,” she said.

Hakobyan cited cases of applicants who submitted citizenship requests in September or October and incurred significant costs to restore missing or damaged documents, but have yet to receive responses. Some have only recently received initial notifications, while others have heard nothing.

She also criticised a decision to move the process fully online from Jan. 1, saying it had created additional barriers, particularly for elderly applicants and those living in remote rural areas.

“People in distant villages – elderly people and even some younger ones – do not know how to register online and lack the necessary technical means,” she said. “There are even modern devices with which it is not possible to complete the registration.”

Hakobyan said intermediaries have begun offering assistance with online registration for a fee of 10,000 drams per family member. “There are families who, out of desperation, have taken that step,” she said.

She alleged the underlying motive was political.

“The subtext is clearly political,” Hakobyan said. “The authorities are confident that if Artsakh Armenians participate in elections, they will decisively reject the Civil Contract party. Naturally, they are creating obstacles so that the Artsakh people do not have that opportunity.”

She also pointed to social concerns related to the displaced population.

Armenia’s Interior Ministry rejected the allegations, saying steps have been taken to simplify the citizenship application process.

Its spokesperson Narek Sargsyan said that from Jan. 1, the electronic citizenship case management system had been fully launched. Since its rollout, the Migration and Citizenship Service (MCS) has received numerous inquiries via its communication channels.

He said the agency regularly publishes clarifications in a frequently asked questions format on its official website, Facebook page and Telegram channel to address technical or procedural issues. In cases of complex problems related to online registration or document uploads, staff contact applicants directly by phone and, if necessary, provide in-person consultations.

Sargsyan said the main issues recorded in applications from displaced persons relate to missing or damaged identity documents or documents proving eligibility for citizenship, which require restoration.

He added that staff at public service offices are undergoing retraining to provide appropriate guidance to displaced applicants.

As of Dec. 30, 2025, 25,901 displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh had applied for Armenian citizenship, Sargsyan said. By presidential decree, 19,319 had been granted citizenship.

Between Jan. 2 and Feb. 23, 2026, a further 4,392 displaced persons submitted citizenship applications via the MCS electronic platform, he added.