Armenia has expressed concerns about an influx of refugees from Iran.
As reported by the “Caucasian Knot,” 2,057 people have been evacuated from Iran to Azerbaijan, including 362 Azerbaijani citizens and 291 Russian citizens. Russians are being asked to leave Iran via Armenia.
Humanitarian aid collection points for refugees from Iran have already opened in Yerevan – they are collecting warm children’s clothing, cereals, and canned goods, the “Vot Tak” project* reports.
Armenia could face a humanitarian crisis due to refugees from Iran – there are approximately 150,000 Iranian-Armenian families living in Iran, and it’s possible that other Iranian citizens will also come to Armenia, Michael Avetikyan, ambassador for the Armenian Food Bank, said in a video.
“Refugees from Iran will soon begin crossing the border, fleeing the war, and of course they will come here to Armenia. According to our estimates, based on the global humanitarian crisis moving into the region, especially Armenia, we realize that there could be around a million people,” he said.
Armenia must be prepared for the possible arrival of refugees and effectively limit this flow, political scientist Georgi Tumasyan said in an interview with 1in.am.
In his opinion, the likelihood of a significant influx from Iran exists, since Armenia has organized an evacuation corridor. “We must remember that Azerbaijan’s border is closed. That is, the northwestern part only has access to Armenia. This danger is indeed present, so we must monitor the situation at the checkpoint. According to rough estimates, the Armenian diaspora numbers 100,000 people, and I don’t think this is a major problem for Armenia, but the government must think through and prepare in advance,” Tumasyan stated.
In his opinion, it is essential that Armenian border guards fully take control of the border with Iran.
Starting January 1, 2025, the border troops of the National Security Service of Armenia will participate in protecting the state borders with Iran and Turkey, and only Armenian border guards will serve at the Agarak checkpoint. An agreement to this effect was reached during a meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Armenian political scientists, the agreement on the withdrawal of border guards will be a geopolitical trump card for both Russia and Armenia, while Russian analysts believe that this could be a harbinger of a reduction in Russia’s military presence in Armenia.
“Russian border guards should be removed as soon as possible, and Armenian border guards must ensure that borders are not violated,” he emphasized.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry reported today that citizens of 46 countries left Iran for Armenia from February 28 to March 10. Among them are citizens of Iran, Georgia and Turkey, the United States and Canada, Russia, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, France, and other countries, according to Armenian News.
Armenia serves as an important humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of citizens of EU countries, European Parliament President Roberta Mezzola stated at a joint briefing with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met on March 11 in Strasbourg, according to a video of the meeting published by News.Am.
As a reminder, on February 28, Israel and the United States began striking Iran. Donald Trump announced the start of a large-scale military operation. In response, Iran began shelling Israel, American military facilities, and civilian targets in the Middle East, according to the Caucasian Knot report “Key Issues in the Impact of the Military Conflict with Iran on the Caucasus.”
On March 5, a drone attack on the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic injured four people. Ilham Aliyev called the attack “a deliberate terrorist act by Iran,” and the Azerbaijani army was put on alert.
The drone attack was likely deliberate, but Azerbaijan will initially limit itself to diplomatic and political measures, avoiding direct military escalation, analysts in Baku suggested. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister stated that the Islamic Republic did not strike Azerbaijan.
