Kazakhstan: Ukrainians Seeking Asylum Denied

The Kazakhstan Bureau for Human Rights reports that authorities denied asylum to several Ukrainians, citing their arrival from "a safe third country" as one of the reasons, Orda reports.

The case involves four Ukrainian citizens who came to Kazakhstan through Russia.

The Kazakh embassy in Ukraine helped one reach Kazakhstan after his Kazakhstani mother contacted diplomatic officials. The other three are women who initially fled Ukraine when the conflict began, staying with a relative in Russia for a month before going to Kazakhstan.

All four had their asylum applications rejected by the Employment Coordination and Social Programs Department of the Turkestan region.

This denial violates Kazakhstan's international obligations regarding asylum and international standards. Based on international standards, a safe third country is considered to be a country where an asylum seeker can apply for asylum. In this situation, Russia cannot be such a country,  the bureau stated.

The bureau's legal team has filed administrative lawsuits, which have been accepted with initial hearing dates set.

Original Author: Rimma Karatayeva