Illegally legitimizing actions in Kazakhstan may have generated up to 700 thousand tenge for a migrant.
Kazakhstan is taking decisive action against illegal migration, as emphasized by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Six criminal cases have been opened for organizing illegal migration, fraud, illegal possession of narcotics, and other offenses.
The organizers, primarily foreigners, were apprehended and placed in temporary detention. The authorities seized dozens of foreign passports, forged documents, narcotic substances, religious literature, and medical insurance documents from the suspects.
The President has highlighted geopolitical challenges, demographic forecasts, and causes of population movement as factors to consider in implementing migration policy. He has also emphasized the need for monitoring to prevent illegal migration and the importance of encouraging the growth of the country's human capital.
In response to these challenges, Kazakhstan has intensified its enforcement against illegal migration. More than 10,000 foreigners have been deported recently, and over 2,000 employers were fined for illegally employing foreign workers. Seven criminal cases were opened against repeat offenders.
Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has stressed the urgent need for stricter law enforcement through nationwide operations that uncovered thousands of violations. The introduction of migrant ID cards issued at border entry points is being accelerated to improve monitoring and regulation of migrants.
The government is also focusing on regulatory reforms. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is directed to tighten administrative control, while the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection is tasked with regulating private agencies that send Kazakh citizens abroad for work. Legislative amendments will require licensing of such private agencies by the end of 2025.
Kazakhstan is also strengthening border controls with automated border control systems at key airports and land checkpoints, deployment of artificial intelligence, and unified digital systems for monitoring. Modern infrastructure is being built and upgraded at 10 land checkpoints to allow rapid detection of violations while facilitating cross-border trade and tourism.
A draft Concept of Migration and Demographic Policy is scheduled for submission by October 1, 2025, aiming to coordinate migration with regional policy through 2030. This strategic policy planning is part of a broader security focus including counterterrorism and control of cross-border threats.
However, these efforts have raised concerns with international bodies about due process and migrant treatment, particularly following security incidents in the region that led to mass detentions and deportations of irregular migrants, mainly from neighboring countries like Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
In conclusion, Kazakhstan under President Tokayev is pursuing a comprehensive approach to address illegal migration, combining legal enforcement, technological modernization of border security, regulatory reform of migration-related agencies, and strategic policy planning. These efforts are crucial in maintaining the country's security and stability.
[1] Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan. (n.d.). Migration Policy. Retrieved from https://www.gov.kz/ru/government/politics/migration-policy [2] Polisia.kz. (n.d.). Seizures. Retrieved from https://polisia.kz/ru/news/seizures [3] Human Rights Watch. (2021, September 16). Kazakhstan: Mass Detentions of Migrants. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/09/16/kazakhstan-mass-detentions-migrants [4] Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan. (n.d.). Border Control. Retrieved from https://www.gov.kz/ru/government/politics/border-control
- The authorities in Kazakhstan, amidst their crackdown on illegal migration, have launched several criminal cases related to politics, general news, and crime-and-justice, such as organizing illegal migration, fraud, illegal possession of narcotics, and other offenses.
- In their efforts to strengthen border controls, the government of Kazakhstan is focusing on modern infrastructure for automated border control systems at airports and land checkpoints, utilization of artificial intelligence, and unified digital systems for monitoring, all segments related to crime-and-justice and general news.
