2024-07-23 05:42:14
Author: Elchin Alioglu, Trend
The foreign ministers of the European Union countries have decided to start negotiations with Armenia on the cancellation of the visa regime and have accepted the program of providing military aid to Armenia worth 10 million euros from the European Peace Fund.
In recent years, discussions between the European Union (EU) and Armenia on the liberalization of the visa regime have been increasing. There are many controversies and concerns about the goals and outcomes of this process. On the one hand, European countries want to attract cheap labor. On the other hand, for Armenia, this process may lead to the deepening of the demographic crisis. In our article, we will explore this topic in depth with facts and precedents.
The European Union has faced the problem of labor force shortage and population aging in recent years. For this reason, European countries are implementing various strategies to attract labor force from foreign countries. Visa liberalization is one of these strategies and facilitates the flow of cheap labor from countries such as Armenia.
Armenia is currently facing a serious demographic crisis. Population decline, low birth rate and the flow of the young generation abroad worsen the demographic situation of Armenia. The abolition of the visa regime with the European Union can speed up this process even more. The example of Georgia shows how critical this situation can be.
It should be noted that in 2017, the visa liberalization agreement between the European Union and Georgia entered into force. After this agreement, thousands of Georgians immigrated to European countries for work and residence. According to official statistics, more than 300,000 Georgian citizens are working as labor migrants in Europe between 2017 and 2019 after the visa regime was abolished. This process caused serious changes in the population structure of Georgia. A similar situation is observed in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, which joined the European Union.
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have faced the problem of population decline after joining the European Union. Since 2004, Lithuania’s population has declined by about 17%. This decrease is mainly due to the migration of citizens to European countries for better living conditions for economic reasons. A similar situation is possible for Armenia.
The European Union pays attention to certain cultural and religious factors when attracting labor force. Attracting labor from Muslim countries may cause cultural integration problems in some European countries. For this reason, Europe prefers to attract labor force from non-Muslim countries. Countries like Armenia are considered more suitable in this regard.
The visa liberalization dialogue between the European Union and Armenia is a multifaceted and complex issue. For Europe, this could mean a solution to cheap labor and demographic problems. But for Armenia, this process may result in a deeper demographic crisis. The experiences of Georgia and the Baltic countries make this risk even clearer. It is important to carefully and strategically manage this process in order to protect the future demographic and economic situation of Armenia.
In recent years, the simplification of the visa regime with the European Union (EU) has significantly increased the flow of citizens of many post-Soviet countries to Europe. One of the main reasons for this migration is the poor economic situation and high unemployment. As a result, migrants from post-Soviet countries are used as the cheapest labor force in the EU. In this article, the economic, social and legal aspects of this process will be analyzed and supported by facts based on existing precedents.
In general, simplification of the visa regime with the EU has repeatedly strengthened labor migration in many post-Soviet countries. Since 2017, countries such as Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova have obtained a visa-free regime with the EU. Although this allows citizens of those countries to make short-term visits to EU countries, many people use these opportunities to try to find work in Europe.
Let’s look at the facts:
Ukraine. After the introduction of a visa-free regime between Ukraine and the EU in 2017, by 2020, approximately 2.5 million Ukrainians went to Europe in search of work. Countries like Poland, Germany and Italy became the main destinations of Ukrainian workers.
Moldova. Since the visa-free regime between Moldova and the EU was introduced in 2014, the number of Moldovan migrants has increased rapidly. By 2019, about 600,000 Moldovans migrated to work in EU countries.
Georgia. After the introduction of a visa-free regime between Georgia and the EU in 2017, the number of Georgian workers increased, especially in Greece and Italy.
Labor migration has different effects on both sending and receiving countries.
Thus, migrant workers support their families with the remittances they send to their countries and help alleviate the economic situation. At the same time, unemployment is decreasing as a result of migration, but this is not a long-term solution.
Migrants from post-Soviet countries are used as the cheapest labor force in the EU, especially in the agricultural, construction and service sectors. Problems such as non-protection of the rights of migrant workers, informal employment and poor working conditions arise. Various international and national legal frameworks exist to regulate labor migration. However, these laws are not always enforced effectively.
For example:
Poland. Poland is one of the main receiving countries of Ukrainian workers. However, complaints about informal employment and poor working conditions are on the rise. In 2020, the Polish government made legislative changes to protect the rights of Ukrainian workers.
Italy. Italy is one of the main destinations of Georgian migrants. In Italy, the level of informal employment of migrant workers is high and working conditions are often substandard. In 2018, the Italian government passed new laws to protect the rights of migrant workers.
… The simplification of the visa regime with the European Union has significantly strengthened labor migration from post-Soviet countries. This process has both economic, social and legal aspects. Migrant workers are used as the cheapest labor force in Europe and there are serious problems regarding the protection of their rights. In order to solve these problems, it is important to implement stronger legislative and regulatory mechanisms at the international and national level.
In the meantime, the Council of the European Union has accepted a 10 million euro aid package from the European Peace Fund (EPF) to the Armenian Armed Forces.
According to the Council of the European Union, the purpose of this assistance is to increase the material and technical capabilities of the Armenian Armed Forces, to improve the protection of the civilian population in crisis and emergency situations, and to strengthen its participation in international military missions and operations. As part of the aid, the Armenian Armed Forces will be provided with a tent camp. The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Joseph Borrell, stated that this assistance will increase the stability of Armenia and expand the dialogue in the field of security between the two sides.
During the Kosovo war, the European Union influenced the course of the war by supporting the Kosovo forces through NATO. This event is an example of Europe’s intervention in order to create stability in the region. However, this intervention can sometimes be perceived as one-sided and biased.
During the conflict between Georgia and Russia in 2008, the European Union took certain steps to support Georgia. These steps increased the tension and destabilized the region. The current situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan may have similar consequences.
During the Ukrainian crisis that began in 2014, the European Union provided various assistance to strengthen the military potential of Ukraine. These aids increased tensions with Russia and destabilized the region. Aid to Armenia has the potential to produce similar results.
The sending of military aid by the European Union to Armenia is considered as a step that disturbs the balance in the region. At a time when Armenia does not give up its claims against the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, these aids will strengthen its military potential and support its destructive activities. The Azerbaijani side strongly objects to this aid and demands that the European Union end its policy of arming and militarization in the region.
Based on the historical precedents and the analysis of the current situation, the European Union’s military assistance to Armenia may have serious consequences for security and stability in the region. The European Union must understand that there is no alternative to peace and cooperation in the region and must put an end to such steps. Otherwise, the European Union will also share the responsibility for possible provocations by Armenia.