Kazakhstan Responds to Claims It Has Abandoned Ethnic Kazakhs in Afghanistan
Recent claims circulating on social media have accused the Kazakh government of abandoning ethnic Kazakhs in Afghanistan, with posts often alleging that thousands of Kazakhs have been left to fend for themselves, painting an emotionally charged but factually questionable picture. The Times of Central Asia set out to verify these claims and found a far more complex reality. Historical Background Kazakh migration to Afghanistan dates back over a century. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, some groups of Kazakhs arrived via Xinjiang, China. Later waves followed during the 1930s, prompted by famine and Stalinist repression in the USSR. Some speculate that early migrants may have included supporters of Kenesary Khan, but this remains the subject of academic debate. While there are no official Afghan census records, estimates suggest that by the mid-20th century, the number of Kazakhs in Afghanistan may have reached 20,000-24,000. However, the repatriation programs of the 1990s drastically reduced these numbers. Since Kazakhstan’s independence, approximately 13,000 Kazakhs have returned from Afghanistan, part of a broader national effort that has repatriated over 1.15 million ethnic Kazakhs from abroad. Even after the Taliban takeover, repatriation efforts continued. In September 2021, for example, 35 ethnic Kazakhs were airlifted to Kazakhstan on a specially arranged flight. Disputed Numbers According to Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry and as confirmed by its embassy in Kabul, the number of ethnic Kazakhs remaining in Afghanistan is about 200 people, or roughly 15 families. In contrast, some self-proclaimed “cultural centers” and online activists claim there are “thousands” of families, with some estimates as high as 3,600 people. These figures are not substantiated by either official data or independent research. Verifying Ethnic Identity The Kazakh embassy in Kabul maintains contact with community representatives to track and verify the status of ethnic Kazakhs. Yet, confirming identities is a serious challenge in Afghanistan due to the absence of a comprehensive population registry. Since 2018, Afghan identity cards (e-Tazkira) have included a “nationality” field, but filling it is optional and based primarily on self-declaration or statements by local elders. This system is vulnerable to manipulation. The embassy reports cases where individuals from other ethnic backgrounds have falsely identified as Kazakh in the hope of qualifying for repatriation programs. Additional complications include limited access to remote provinces, weak administrative oversight, and security concerns. The embassy thus relies on field visits, trusted local contacts, and cautious verification to produce its population estimates. Mixed Marriages and Assimilation One of the biggest challenges in identification is interethnic marriage. Over the decades, many Kazakhs in Afghanistan have assimilated into surrounding Uzbek, Turkmen, or Tajik communities. Many no longer speak Kazakh, and identity is maintained through fragmentary knowledge of family genealogies (shezhire), often insufficient for verification. The embassy also raised concerns about “disputed applicants”, individuals attempting to exploit Kazakhstan’s earlier, more lenient kandastar (ethnic repatriation) policy. In the absence of rigorous documentation, ethnicity in Afghanistan has often been based on verbal claims, creating openings for abuse and corruption. Why Not Use DNA? Some social media users...
