A Russian regional lawmaker has stirred debate by suggesting that parts of Siberia may be the ancestral homeland of some Central Asian migrants, including Uzbeks. The statement was made by Khalid Tagi-Zade, a member of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug (Yugra) regional parliament, during a discussion on birthrate trends among local and migrant populations. His remarks were broadcast via a livestream on the parliament’s official VKontakte page, according to Gazeta.ru.
Tagi-Zade emphasized the historical complexity of migration, arguing that “not all migrants are the same.” He pointed to the fact that Yugra and parts of the neighboring Tyumen region were once territories of the Siberian Khanate. He further noted that the Khanate’s last ruler, Khan Kuchum, descended from the Shaybanid dynasty, a prominent Uzbek lineage from the Bukhara Khanate. From this, he implied that some Uzbek migrants could view their presence in the region as a form of return to ancestral lands.
The speaker of the parliament, Boris Khokhryakov, quickly moved to halt the discussion, citing procedural rules that prohibit extended remarks during that segment of the session.
Tagi-Zade’s comments come at a time of heightened scrutiny over the treatment of Uzbek migrants in Russia. On May 2, Uzbekistan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Bobur Usmonov raised concerns in a meeting with Russian Ambassador Oleg Malginov in Tashkent. According to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Usmonov expressed alarm over a rising number of reports involving the mistreatment of Uzbek citizens in Russia and urged Moscow to safeguard their rights.
