Central Asia
2015 year-end information on the Central Asia subregion is presented below. A summary of this can also be downloaded in PDF format. This subregion covers the following countries:
Subregion: Central Asia
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Latest update of camps and office locations 13 Jan 2016. By clicking on the icons on the map, additional information is displayed.
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Budgets and Expenditure in Subregion Central Asia
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2015
{"categories":[2012,2013,2014,2015],"budget":[22.88429304,18.10424758,16.60239248,14.66960535],"expenditure":[10.88408856,9.50114653,9.91686891,9.66512855]}
{"categories":[2012,2013,2014,2015],"p1":[12.50670353,10.69836272,10.12037679,9.01942936],"p2":[2.87240321,3.36044574,4.0248484,3.9926304],"p3":[null,null,null,null],"p4":[7.5051863,4.04543912,2.45716729,1.65754559]}
{"categories":[2012,2013,2014,2015],"p1":[5.69367151,6.13063122,5.58755005,5.26348795],"p2":[1.66234494,2.0418551,2.89679687,3.13810874],"p3":[null,null,null,null],"p4":[3.52807211,1.32866021,1.43252199,1.26353186]}
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People of Concern - 2015
[["Refugees",3164],["Asylum-seekers",543],["Stateless",130324],["Others of concern",53]]Loading ...
Response in 2015
In 2015, Central Asian countries experienced significant devaluations of their national currencies throughout the subregion. As a result, the prices for goods and services, as well as unemployment rates increased during the second half of 2015, making persons of concern to UNHCR more vulnerable.UNHCR’s regional office located in Almaty, Kazakhstan continued to oversee operational activities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. In 2015, UNHCR operations in Central Asia focused on three regional strategic goals: improving national asylum systems; identifying solutions for the current refugee population; and working to reduce and prevent statelessness. Nearly 14,000 of the over 100,000 persons with undetermined nationality in Central Asia acquired citizenship in 2015.
By year end, the subregion hosted over 3,100 refugees, 94 per cent of whom were Afghans, as well as approximately 550 asylum-seekers. In 2015 all countries in the subregion with the exception of Uzbekistan were signatories to the 1951 Refugee Convention. With refugee status determination (RSD) procedures largely established across most Central Asian operations, UNHCR began shifting its engagement from mandate RSD activities to the provision of technical advice and support for government authorities. Country offices in Tajikistan and Kazakhstan further shifted their operational focus from the provision of individual assistance to helping secure self-reliance and livelihood opportunities for refugees.
Despite progress on a number of fronts, growing national security concerns throughout the subregion have had an adverse effect on the protection environment, specifically in relation to strengthening national asylum systems.
Operations
Operations in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are presented in separate country pages.Turkmenistan: Turkmenistan is party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and Protocol and both Statelessness Conventions. By the end of 2015, the country hosted 26 refugees recognized by UNHCR in a situation of protracted displacement, as well as an estimated 7,000 stateless individuals. The devaluation of the national currency at the beginning of the year had a critical impact on UNHCR’s planned activities. Despite these challenges, the Government of Turkmenistan granted citizenship to 8 refugees and 353 stateless people in 2015, bringing the total number of individuals granted citizenship since 2011 to some 5,000. Following an operational review carried out in September 2015, activities in Turkmenistan will be overseen by UNHCR’s Regional Office in Almaty, as of July 2016.
Uzbekistan: By the end of 2015, Uzbekistan hosted approximately 100 refugees, almost all originating from Afghanistan. National security concerns, linked to the threat of extremism and terrorism, hampered efforts to promote a favourable protection environment for refugees and asylum-seekers; further improvements are required in the country’s legal and administrative framework related to asylum. Local integration in Uzbekistan remained difficult, although a certain level of socio-economic integration was de facto achieved for refugees who were able to acquire permanent residency permits.
Operational Environment and Strategy
In Central Asia, UNHCR’s work focuses on developing national asylum systems, seeking solutions for refugees and stateless people and supporting the implementation of emergency preparedness measures.National refugee legislation in the subregion is inconsistent with international standards. States are preoccupied with cross-border/transnational threats and national security, which impacts asylum policy and the protection of refugees.
Improving national asylum systems involves ensuring that access to territory, improved reception conditions and refugee status determination (RSD) procedures meet international standards. To advocate for this, regional platforms for refugee protection and international migration, such as the Almaty Process, are used.
Voluntary repatriation is facilitated on a case-by-case basis; however, interest in returning to an uncertain future in Afghanistan has been limited in 2014. Resettlement can help maximize protection dividends in the subregion and address the protracted nature of the Afghan refugee situation, alongside efforts to advocate for alternative stay arrangements, and pursue local integration.
Turkmenistan is the first and only country in Central Asia to accede to both 1954 and 1961 UN Statelessness Conventions. UNHCR continues to advocate residence permits for mandate refugees who are not eligible for naturalization, and pursues resettlement for a small number of Afghan refugees.
In Kyrgyzstan, projects focus on sustainable reintegration of those affected by inter–ethnic clashes in June 2010. Activities include trust- and confidence-building measures between individuals, communities and authorities. In addition, Kyrgyzstan is a pilot country of the Secretary-General’s Policy Committee Decision on Durable Solutions.
In light of the volatile security situation in the Fergana Valley, a joint contingency plan was drafted and endorsed by the Kyrgyz Government in 2013. Several activities, such as joint simulation and high-level working group meetings, have enhanced emergency preparedness for any mass refugee influx from neighbouring countries.
In Kazakhstan, the Government has been responsible for RSD since 2010, but UNHCR continues to cooperate with government agencies dealing with asylum. In 2014, UNHCR, together with the Government, has initiated an information campaign to identify and register stateless people and find solutions to their situation.
Tajikistan faces a range of socio-economic challenges affecting both Tajik nationals and refugees. Refugees do not have the freedom to establish their place of residence, and are banned from living in major cities. The asylum system is fragile and the quality of RSD is insufficient UNHCR is reinforcing its efforts to address statelessness issues, and promote inter-agency partnerships to enhance emergency preparedness.
The office has not been present in Uzbekistan since 2006. Nonetheless, it caters for a small number of refugees (133 people), predominantly of Afghan origin, through a project with UNDP aimed at finding solutions for them, including improved stay arrangements and resettlement.
Response and Implementation
In Kazakhstan, legislative improvements are required in various laws and administrative procedures to ensure the asylum system functions properly. UNHCR continues to advise on national legislation and share good practice for refugee protection. Advocacy and support efforts continue with a view to the country’s accession to the UN Statelessness Conventions and the reduction of statelessness. Contingency planning and emergency preparedness will remain UNHCR priorities.In Tajikistan, the Office will work closely with the Government and other partners to identify and achieve solutions for stateless people. It will reinforce its inter-agency preparedness work, considering potential displacement scenarios, including in relation to the Afghanistan situation. UNHCR will continue to promote access to asylum and ways to safeguard border management systems, as Tajikistan is located at the crossroads of complex subregional population movements, including human smuggling and trafficking, which often originate in Afghanistan.
Priorities for UNHCR in Turkmenistan include: engaging the Government in procedures for receiving asylum-seekers and processing asylum claims, as well as continuing to assist relevant government structures in finding durable solutions for stateless people registered in 2011. In 2015, UNHCR will continue to seek durable solutions through naturalization and resettlement. It will assist the Government in developing and implementing a statelessness status determination procedure. Government partners will receive assistance to develop their refugee emergency preparedness and response capacity.
In Kyrgyzstan, the Office will continue to work towards ending statelessness. Innovative programmes funded by the UNHCR Seeds for Solutions initiative are being implemented with government partners and local NGOs. The activities include on-the-spot registration of undocumented and stateless people by multifunctional mobile teams.
In Uzbekistan, provision of services to refugees will continue through the UNDP project aiming at finding solutions. Advocacy efforts to improve stay arrangements and other solutions for refugees will continue with the Government.
2015 Budget and Expenditure in Central Asia | USD
| Operation | Pillar 1 Refugee programme |
Pillar 2 Stateless programme |
Pillar 3 Reintegration projects |
Pillar 4 IDP projects |
Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kazakhstan Regional Office | Budget Expenditure | 4,742,400 2,588,094 | 2,251,919 1,766,785 | 0 0 | 0 0 | 6,994,319 4,354,879 |
| Kyrgyzstan | Budget Expenditure | 1,824,681 1,240,019 | 780,157 641,912 | 0 0 | 1,657,546 1,263,532 | 4,262,384 3,145,462 |
| Tajikistan | Budget Expenditure | 2,180,013 1,255,147 | 538,265 474,879 | 0 0 | 0 0 | 2,718,279 1,730,026 |
| Turkmenistan | Budget Expenditure | 272,335 180,228 | 422,289 254,533 | 0 0 | 0 0 | 694,624 434,761 |
| Total | Budget Expenditure | 9,019,429 5,263,488 | 3,992,630 3,138,109 | 0 0 | 1,657,546 1,263,532 | 14,669,605 9,665,129 |
2015 Voluntary Contributions to Central Asia | USD
| Earmarking / Donor | Pillar 2 Stateless programme |
Pillar 4 IDP projects |
All pillars |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Asia overall | ||||
| United States of America | 0 | 0 | 2,200,000 | 2,200,000 |
| Central Asia overall subtotal | 0 | 0 | 2,200,000 | 2,200,000 |
| Kazakhstan Regional Office | ||||
| Kazakhstan | 0 | 0 | 187,873 | 187,873 |
| UNDP | 114,130 | 0 | 0 | 114,130 |
| Kazakhstan Regional Office subtotal | 114,130 | 0 | 187,873 | 302,003 |
| Kyrgyzstan | ||||
| Kyrgyzstan | 0 | 0 | 71,154 | 71,154 |
| UN Peacebuilding Fund | 0 | 570,978 | 0 | 570,978 |
| Kyrgyzstan subtotal | 0 | 570,978 | 71,154 | 642,132 |
| Turkmenistan | ||||
| Turkmenistan | 0 | 0 | 94,090 | 94,090 |
| Turkmenistan subtotal | 0 | 0 | 94,090 | 94,090 |
| Total | 114,130 | 570,978 | 2,553,117 | 3,238,225 |