Kyiv Post has an information-packed article on the Uzbeks deported from Ukraine. It turns out that,
Nine of the Uzbeks had already registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as asylum seekers. The other one, according to UNHCR, was intending to register, but Ukrainian officials deported him before they could complete the procedure.
“UNHCR learned about the deportation of the Uzbek asylum seekers from the media,” said Natalia Prokopchuk, the spokeswoman for UNHCR’s Kyiv Office.
“We knew that they had been arrested, and our representatives were holding negotiations with the Security Service of Ukraine.”
Prokopchuk said SBU officials assured the UNHCR that legal procedure would be followed. The next day, the asylum seekers were deported.
Ukraine’s official response has been that the Uzbeks were in violation of Ukrainian law and did not appeal their denial of application for asylum. It very well may be true that the Uzbeks broke the law, but that does not mean that the Ukrainians’ actions were legal or above the board. Again, from the Kyiv Post.
Alexander Petrov, deputy director of Human Rights Watch in Moscow, said Ukraine broke at least three international agreements, including the International Refugee Convention, the European Convention on Human Rights and the U.N. Convention against Torture.
“This event will negatively impact the image of Ukraine,” Petrov said. “This means that Ukraine does not abide by its obligations.”
Uzbek activists interviewed for the story said that some of those deported had been in Ukraine before Andijon, and that Uzbeks who have fled Uzbekistan to Ukraine are too scared to register for fear that Ukrainian authorities will send them back.
This post was written by...
Nathan Hamm – author of 2974 posts on Registan.net.
Nathan is the Founding Editor and Publisher of Registan.net, which he launched in 2003. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Uzbekistan 2000-2001 and received his MA in Central Asian Studies from the University of Washington in 2007. Since 2007, he has worked full-time as an analyst, consulting with private and government clients on Central Asian affairs, specializing in how socio-cultural and political factors shape risks and opportunities and how organizations can adjust their strategic and operational plans to account for these variables. Nathan is currently seeking research, analysis, and consulting opportunities. He can be contacted via Twitter or email.
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I must admit, I’ve only been vaguely following this story, so I may have missed something
But, has anyone actually done any follow up to find out where and in what situation the deportees are in now that they have returned to Uzbekistan?
That’s a good thought, Andy, but I doubt there is anyone left in Uzb who might a) have access to this info, and b) be willing to say anything about it. We shall see.