Dushanbe – For the second time in September, IOM and the Government of Tajikistan jointly facilitated the return home of about 300 Tajik migrants who had been stranded at the Kazakhstan/Uzbekistan border.

The new group of Tajik migrants arrived home on 17 September. The movement was coordinated by the Government of Tajikistan with the cooperation of the Governments of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and facilitated by the IOM missions in the three countries. This transportation was financed by the Kingdom of Norway. 

Since introduction of quarantine measures, the International Organization for Migration – United Nations Migration Agency has supported return home of about 2,500 Tajik nationals from Kazakhstan through Uzbekistan to Tajikistan, among them women, children, migrant workers, and students. They all were stranded at the Zhibek Zholi border point at the Kazakhstan border with Uzbekistan in the hope of continuing their journey home to Tajikistan. 

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For more information about the return of Tajik nationals please contact IOM Tajikistan: Tel/Fax: (+992 48) 701-02-02 / 701-11-22, E-mail: dushanbeinfo@iom.int 

To learn more about issues concerning stranded migrants and protecting and assisting migrants during Covid-19, please visit:  https://www.iom.int/Issuebriefs