Armenia: Information on the treatment of individuals of mixed Armenian and Azeri heritage
| Publisher | United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services |
| Author | Resource Information Center |
| Publication Date | 20 July 2000 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ARM00001.ZHN |
| Cite as | United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, Armenia: Information on the treatment of individuals of mixed Armenian and Azeri heritage, 20 July 2000, ARM00001.ZHN, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3dedfce54.html [accessed 9 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Query:
Have individuals of mixed Armenian and Azeri heritage living in Armenia been subject to mistreatment, discrimination, or persecution since 1996?
Response:
A review of publicly available information did not uncover any evidence of systematic persecution of individuals of mixed Armenian and Azeri heritage in Armenia. The United States Department of State reports that persons of mixed Azeri heritage experience societal discrimination, though no examples were cited (Country Reports 1999, 2000). During a fact-finding mission to Armenia in 1997, the Danish Immigration Service found that "there is no persecution of people on grounds of their ethnic origin," though discrimination in local communities could not be ruled out. The fact-finding report continued to state that the Armenian authorities do not bother those in mixed marriages; however, at times neighbors will harass a couple of which the husband is of Azeri origin (Danish Immigration Service January 1999). The report did not specifically address the situation of individuals born to one Armenian and one Azeri parent.
A Staff Advisor with the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe stated that he has never heard of any instances of mistreatment of Armenians of mixed ethnic heritage (CSCE 19 July 2000). Other sources consulted without success include: UNHCR's REFWORLD Database, the internet website of the Documentation, Information, and Research Branch (DIRB) of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, LEXIS/NEXIS, and general searches of internet sources.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the RIC within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1999. 2000. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office. [Internet]
Danish Immigration Service. Report on the Fact-Finding Mission to Armenia: Concerning Deserters, Compulsory Military Service and the Situation of Ethnic Minorities, 14th November to 21st November 1997 (Copenhagen: January 1999). [Internet]
Staff Advisor. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), Washington, DC. 19 July 2000. Telephone Interview.
