The government was reluctant to do so until now, saying that all refugees will only receive 50,000 drams ($125) each in November and December in addition to 100,000 drams given to them in October.
Some senior officials indicated that Karabakh pensioners, retired military and security personnel as well as other relevant categories will be eligible for monthly benefits only if they apply for and receive Armenian citizenship. Armenian opposition figures and other critics condemned that stance.
The government sparked another controversy last month when it decided to grant the Karabakh Armenians “temporary protection” formalizing their status of refugees. It thus made clear that it does not consider them citizens of Armenia despite the fact that virtually all of them hold Armenian passports. Government officials described their passports as mere “travel documents,” a claim disputed by some legal experts.
Over a hundred refugees, many of them retired soldiers and officers, protested outside the Armenian Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs on Monday. Deputy Labor Minister Davit Khachatrian received their representatives.
“He assured us that everyone will get their pensions,” one of them, Armen Petrosian, said after the meeting. “Civilian pensioners will get them [for the period starting] from October 26, while the military personnel after changes are made to the law.”
“He also said that an [official] announcement will be made on Thursday,” added Petrosian.
Khachatrian made this clear when he spoke to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service over the weekend.
“We are doing everything to make sure that [the refugees] start getting their pensions along with everybody else at the beginning of December,” said the official.