YEREVAN (Panorama.am) — Honorary president of the Pyunik philanthropic foundation, Kapriel Chemberjian, settled in Armenia from Damascus. He is an Aleppo native and through the foundation is helping Syrian Armenians who desire to come to Armenia. He was amazed that recently 100 Syrian-Armenians came to Armenia on an airplane that had gone to Syria to deliver humanitarian aid, and nobody took notice.
Chemberjian lost relatives in the Syrian war and said that he takes it all deeply, as no end is apparent. He said that through his organization, he attempts to assist those Aleppo Armenians who apply to come to Armenia. However, he is upset that many Syrian Armenians come to Armenia and then move to other countries.
He said, “If anybody needs aid, we provide help through the efforts of our ambassador or consul. But what is said is that when we bring them to Armenia, they only use Armenia as a bridge and after several months obtain their passports and go to other countries, [like] France, Germany, or Canada. This is a great error which must be halted, since neither the homeland nor Syrian Armenians benefit—the community there is dying. We must not work to kill the community. We must work to maintain it.”
To the observation that perhaps they are unable to find employment and do not have the possibility to live in Armenia, so for this reason they find the solution in emigration, he replied: “If there is no possibility here, is there a possibility abroad? If there is no possibility, why do they want to come here? Only to obtain passports? Only to travel abroad? Only to destroy the Syrian community? … This is the desire of the Turk. It is the Turk which wants to destroy the Syrian-Armenian community.”
Nevertheless, he said, he knows Syrian-Armenian families who emigrated from Armenia to Canada, but have not been able to get accustomed to it there and returned to the homeland.
He said that there are many places in Syria, like Kesab, Baniyas, Latakia and Tartus, which are secure and have Armenian communities. People can take refuge there and move to these towns.
