CABAR.ASIA
A Promised Land:
How Kazakh Political Emigrants Live in Ukraine
How Kazakh Political Emigrants Live in Ukraine
Andrei Grishin
Every year, 30 to 50 thousand people leave Kazakhstan for good, thus making the country top the list of countries for immigration among other states of the Eurasian Economic Union, and, possibly, the former Soviet Union. They leave because of economic problems, risk of rising nationalism, corruption and police brutality, low quality education and medicine, lack of near-term perspectives for the state in general.
See also: Kazakhstan is the leader among EAEU by external migration
See also: Kazakhstan is the leader among EAEU by external migration
Political refugees – the people who associated themselves with Kazakhstan and wanted to change it for the better – go almost unnoticed in this situation.
There are few of them. Although Kazakhstan still manages to preserve the visible relative well-being, political emigrants settled down from Mongolia to the United States during the 30 years of independence. But the key place of attraction is Ukraine. There are several reasons for that. The main ones are: it's easy to get there, no visa needed, and Ukraine did not extradite Akorda opponents. At least for the time being.
Anyway, a small group of political refugees from Kazakhstan has settled down in Kyiv and in the neighbourhood. Those from the Kazakhstan opposition, who are not at risk of imprisonment when returning to their motherland in certain circumstances, can wait out hard times in Ukraine from time to time.
There are few of them. Although Kazakhstan still manages to preserve the visible relative well-being, political emigrants settled down from Mongolia to the United States during the 30 years of independence. But the key place of attraction is Ukraine. There are several reasons for that. The main ones are: it's easy to get there, no visa needed, and Ukraine did not extradite Akorda opponents. At least for the time being.
Anyway, a small group of political refugees from Kazakhstan has settled down in Kyiv and in the neighbourhood. Those from the Kazakhstan opposition, who are not at risk of imprisonment when returning to their motherland in certain circumstances, can wait out hard times in Ukraine from time to time.
A couple from West Kazakhstan city of Akyubinsk moved to Kyiv hastily in 2014, just before the court ruled to arrest journalist Natalia Sadykova.
В марте 2017 года Жанара Ахметова вместе с малолетним сыном прибыла в Украину, чтобы просить о политическом убежище. В Казахстане у нее осталось двое взрослых детей.
Известный в Казахстане оппозиционный политик стал на данный момент последним, кто решил связать свою судьбу с Украиной. Он перебрался в Киев с женой и детьми, как только у него закончился срок условного освобождения, который сменил четыре с половиной года, проведенных в тюрьме.
Today, other opposition activists live in Ukraine; some of them are not widely known. Once the reprisals on participants of banned opposition movements, Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan and Koshe Partiyasy ( «Street Party»), began, the people who did not want to let others know about them could choose Ukraine as their place of both permanent and temporary residence to wait out hard times.
Moreover, Kazakhstan and Ukraine reached a deal in November 2019 on mutual extradition of criminals. We have a suspicion that this deal was torpedoed specially for political emigrants as the Kazakhstan authorities usually have rather loyal attitude towards economic criminals who hide abroad. Most often, those who hide are related to the authorities one way or another.
The opposition is a different story.
Moreover, Kazakhstan and Ukraine reached a deal in November 2019 on mutual extradition of criminals. We have a suspicion that this deal was torpedoed specially for political emigrants as the Kazakhstan authorities usually have rather loyal attitude towards economic criminals who hide abroad. Most often, those who hide are related to the authorities one way or another.
The opposition is a different story.
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