10,000 foreigners are deported from Kazakhstan amid crackdown on migration violations

First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Baurzhan Alenov reports the deportation of nearly 10,000 foreign citizens from Kazakhstan since the beginning of 2025 at a recent government meeting addressing migration trends and enforcement measures.

He also underlined a consistent rise in the number of foreign arrivals to the country. More than 7.5 million people entered Kazakhstan in the first half of 2025, while 7.2 million departed. It shows a net increase of 600,000 compared to the same period in 2024. Nearly 90% of those arriving came from post-Soviet states.

As Alenov stated, 97% of foreign citizens comply with migration laws. Nevertheless, there are more than 200,000 individuals who have faced administrative penalties. They have fined 46,000 for violating residency rules, and they have deported almost 10,000 with a five-year ban on re-entry.

Also, over 2,000 employers had to pay fines for the illegal employment of foreign workers. They have opened seven criminal cases against repeat offenders.

Nearly 212,000 foreign nationals reside in Kazakhstan on a permanent basis as of mid-2025. Almaty has the largest concentration (42,000), then follow the Almaty region (32,000), and both Astana and the Karaganda region (17,000 each). The rise of the number of permanent foreign residents over the past three years reached 42%.

There are also around 430,000 temporary foreign residents in Kazakhstan. Among them, there are 360,000 labor migrants, 8,000 students and 44,000 tourists. 17,000 foreigners arrived to reunite with families.

According to Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, it needs to enforce migration laws. Over 7,000 violations detected in May alone during nationwide operations are a clear signal for this.

Bektenov said that it is necessary to address such incidents promptly and actively implement digital tools, such as migrant ID cards, issued at border entry points, to improve monitoring and regulation.

The Prime Minister also gave the Ministry of Internal Affairs the instruction to tighten administrative oversight. He called on the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection to enhance regulation of private agencies involved in sending Kazakh citizens abroad for work.

Bektenov concluded that these agencies currently operate without accountability or oversight. He expects the Ministries to propose legislative amendments to require licensing of such activities by year’s end. Bektenov also instructed the Ministry of Labor to submit a draft Concept of Migration and Demographic Policy by October 1, aligning with the Concept of Regional Policy being developed through 2030.

According to the data collected by The Times of Central Asia, in 2025 the majority of foreign labor migrants have come to Kazakhstan from China, Uzbekistan, Turkey, and India. They work primarily in the construction sector.

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