Procedure of allocation of a room in the Reception Center (Temporary Accommodation Center for Asylum-seekers)
The Reception Center functions under subordination of the Migration and Citizenship Service (MCS) and is designed for accommodation of asylum-seekers and their family members. Freedom of movement of the asylum-seekers residing in the Reception Center is not restricted.
If you want to live in the Reception Center you should mention it in your asylum application or submit a separate application.
After receiving a relevant application, the Migration and Citizenship Service, as soon as possible, will provide you with a referral on accommodation in the Reception Center, if there is a free room there.
When allocating a room, the manager of the Reception Center takes into account the number, sex, age of your family members and other peculiarities. Members of opposite sex not belonging to the same family are not accommodated together.
While residing in the Reception Center you and your family members will be provided with food, bed linen, and hygienic kits. You will not make payments for consumed electricity and water. Saving those resources is highly encouraged. The Reception Center is financed from the state budget.
If there is no free room in the Reception Center, a referral cannot be issued. In this or any other case where it is impossible to allocate a room in the Reception Center, you have the right to apply for financial assistance in order to rent an apartment.
In order to receive financial assistance, you have to submit the application to the Migration and Citizenship Service pursuant to the defined form. The working group comprised of the officials of the Migration and Citizenship Service and UNHCR will assess your basic needs visiting the place of your actual residence, after which a decision will be made regarding your application according the established criteria, as this type of help is provided to the most vulnerable persons.
The financial assistance shall be provided for a period of three months, and if the consideration period of asylum application is extended, the assistance will be provided until processing of the application is completed by the MS (maximum six months). Please note that food and hygiene kits are not provided in this case.
Financial assistance may not be provided to you, when:
- Your application for asylum has been rejected by the Migration and Citizenship Service in accordance with the accelerated procedure prescribed by the RA Law “On Refugees and Asylum;”
- Your application for asylum has been rejected and you re-applied for asylum in Armenia;
- You have rejected the offer of the Migration and Citizenship Service to reside in the Reception Center or in other accommodation;
- You had previously resided in the Reception Center and left the area occupied upon expiry of the term of residence;
- You had previously resided in the Reception Center, however the referral issued by the Migration and Citizenship Service was recognized invalid owing to the absence without a valid reason or violation of internal house rules for the residence;
- You — as an unaccompanied or separated child or a person with special needs — have been placed in an establishment, where your basic needs are satisfied.
The provision of financial assistance will be stopped, when:
- A room has been provided to you by the Migration and Citizenship Service in the Reception Center or in another place, despite the fact, whether or not the allocated area has been actually occupied thereby;
- You have been provided with accommodation in the framework of the projects implemented by international or non-governmental organizations;
- You have acquired an apartment by the right of ownership;
- You do not have the status of an asylum-seeker any more.
Period of residence in the Reception Center
The Republic of Armenia legislation stipulates a certain timeframe for living in the Reception Center. You and your family members may reside in the Reception Center until a final decision on your application is made.
If your application is rejected and you have appealed the negative decision to the court, you have the right to continue to stay in the Reception Center until a final decision on your application is made by court instances.
If your application is rejected and you have not appealed the negative decision to the court, you may continue to live in the Reception Center for up to 30 days. When the deadline expires, you have to immediately free the room.
If your application is satisfied and you have been recognized as a refugee and received asylum, you have to vacate the room after notification from the MS on positive decision. Afterwards, you may apply to the Migration and Citizenship Service with the request to provide you with a room in a dormitory/social house. This application will be considered by the relevant working group.
Internal house rules for residence in the Reception Center
The house rules for residence in the Reception Center are established by the decree of the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure dated 10 August 2016; and they obligatory for all the residents of the Reception Center.
The house rules for residence in the Reception Center will be introduced to you by the manager of the Reception Center in the language you understand, when you move to the center. You should respect them.
In case of problems occurred during living in the Reception Center, you may apply to the manager of the Reception Center, as well as to the Migration and Citizenship Service, UNHCR and partner NGOs.