After the anti-terrorist operation carried out by Azerbaijan in the Karabakh region in September 2023, Armenians who voluntarily relocated to Armenia are massively heading to Russia and Europe.
According to Modern.az, one of the main factors is the long-standing animosity between local Armenians and Armenians who voluntarily relocated from Karabakh.
Due to this tension, which is also felt at the household level, the number of Karabakh Armenians who obtained Armenian passports was only 26,000, with the majority choosing Russia and European countries for residence.
The majority of those relocating to Russia choose the southern regions of the country. Stavropol Krai, Krasnodar Krai, and the North Caucasus region have become the most popular settlement points for Karabakh Armenians. In these areas, both the climate and the already established Armenian diaspora relatively facilitate their settlement. A certain portion of those going to Russia are subsequently engaged in labor contracts through various means, and some enlist in the Russian army to participate in the Ukraine war. Russia is interested in involving Armenians from Karabakh in active combat operations.
Another large flow is directed towards Europe, particularly France. The large Armenian community in France, the availability of social support mechanisms, and the relatively accessible migration procedures have intensified the influx of Karabakh Armenians into this country. Additionally, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain are among their chosen destinations, but France is still preferred.
However, the situation of former Karabakh residents remaining in Armenia is not entirely comfortable, as mentioned above. There, they experience tension with the local population due to settlement problems, unemployment, and difficulties with social adaptation. Dissatisfaction regarding “temporary arrivals” is openly voiced from time to time in Armenian society, which creates additional political and social problems for the government's policy concerning both the local population and those arriving from Karabakh. This social tension and weak economic conditions further accelerate the departure of people who have relocated from Karabakh.
Various political forces also try to use the Karabakh Armenians remaining in the country for their own purposes. In particular, revanchist forces associated with Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan are interested in using them as a dissatisfied electorate against the current government in the parliamentary elections to be held in June 2026, by having them obtain Armenian passports. However, despite these attempts, the migration flow of Armenians who voluntarily relocated from Karabakh out of Armenia is accelerating.
