Russia: Information on the current treatment of Kazakhs in Russia
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 June 1996 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | RUS24113.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Russia: Information on the current treatment of Kazakhs in Russia, 1 June 1996, RUS24113.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6acb56f.html [accessed 22 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The following information was obtained in a telephone interview on 7 June 1996 with a research analyst specialising in Kazakh affairs at the Open Media Research Institute, a research centre focusing on the former Soviet Union and east-central and south-eastern Europe, in Prague.
The analyst was not aware of any reports of specific discrimination or ill-treatment of Kazakhs in Russia. The Kazakhs are more integrated into Russian society and they are generally spared the negative stereotyping and social stigmatisation that characterises Russian social attitudes to other national minorities in Russia such as people from the Transcaucasus, Chechnya and Azerbaijan, and Gypsies.
Most Kazakhs speak Russian as a first language, which allows them to integrate socially and find employment in Russian society. Few Kazakhs living in Russia are completely fluent in the Kazakh language; however, those living in Russia near the Kazakhstani border are able to receive some education in the Kazakh language. Some facilities for Kazakh language training also exist in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Although the Kazakhs are Muslims, they are perceived by Russians as being less threatening than other Muslim nationalities such as the Chechens. Kazakhs have their own mosques and are free to practice their religion.
Migration flows of Kazakhs between Russia and Kazakhstan, despite Kazakhstani government incentives to relocate to Kazakhstan, has not resulted in a significant change in the number of Kazakhs returning to the country.
In April 1996 the presidents of Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement that, among other pledges, declared that the two nations "will strictly observe the rights and liberties of the individual, preventing discrimination on a nationality basis" (Kazakhstanskaya Pravda 30 Apr. 1996). No details are provided by this source on the treatment of Kazakhs in Russia.
Additional and/or corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the DIRB. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Kazakhstanskaya Pravda [Alma-Ata, in Russian]. 30 April 1996. "Relations With Former Soviet Republics; Text of Kazakh-Russian Joint Declaration." (BBC Summary 7 May 1996/NEXIS)
Open Media Research Institute (OMRI), Prague. 7 June 1996. Telephone interview with research analyst specialising in Kazakh affairs.
Additional Sources Consulted
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1995.
Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Daily Reports.
Minority Rights Group. Various reports.
Russia: Crime or Simply Punishment? Racist Attacks by Moscow Law Enforcement. September 1995. Human Rights Watch.
Transition. 1995-1996.
Oral sources.
