Ethnic Kazakhs - The Times Of Central Asia

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Kandas Resettlement Rises as Kazakhstan Boosts Integration Efforts

Since the beginning of 2025, 3,203 ethnic Kazakhs have returned to their historical homeland and officially received received the status of Kandas. In total, since gaining independence in 1991, more than 1.15 million ethnic Kazakhs have resettled in Kazakhstan for permanent residence. The Times of Central Asia examines who today’s Kandas are and how their integration and resettlement are being managed. Geography of Return According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, nearly half (48.1%) of all Kandas arriving in Kazakhstan in 2025 have come from China. This is followed by ethnic Kazakhs from Uzbekistan (39.5%), Turkmenistan (5.8%), Mongolia (2.5%), Russia (1.9%), and other countries (2.2%). As of April 1, 2025, 60.7% of new arrivals are of working age, 31.1% are minors, and 8.2% are pensioners. Regarding educational background, 17.9% hold higher education degrees, 27.8% have specialized secondary education, 52.9% have general secondary education, and 1.4% have no formal education. Resettlement and Regional Priorities Kandas are being resettled across the country, with labor-deficient regions prioritized. These include Akmola, Abay, Kostanay, Pavlodar, Atyrau, West Kazakhstan, East Kazakhstan, and North Kazakhstan. The quota for 2025 in these regions stands at 2,309 people, with 642 already resettled by early April. Since the start of the year, 147 Kandas have received various forms of state support, and 94 of them have secured permanent employment. State Support and Economic Mobility The government offers a range of support measures, including a one-time relocation subsidy of 70 Monthly Calculated Indexes (MRP), or approximately $527 per family member. Additionally, monthly payments for rent and utilities ranging from 15 to 30 MRPs ($113-$226) are provided for up to one year. To enhance economic mobility, the Kandas can receive up to $8,600 per family, covering up to 50% of housing costs, for home purchases, construction, or mortgage down payments. Homes bought with these funds cannot be sold for five years, nor can they be transferred among close relatives, to prevent misuse. Since 2025, all services related to quotas and support have been moved online. According to Vice Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, Yertaev Askarbek Ertaev, this transition aims to minimize corruption and strengthen oversight of compliance with program conditions. A new tracking system within the “Labor Market” information platform monitors movements of displaced persons. Unauthorized departure from the designated resettlement region requires repayment of financial aid through a pre-trial process. Adaptation and integration centers were launched in 2024 in Pavlodar, East Kazakhstan, Akmola, and Abay. In 2025, Kostanay and North Kazakhstan joined this list. Full support is now available via the mobile app “FSM Social” (Fund for Social Payments), covering everything from adaptation to employment services. Among recent innovations is a simplified procedure for verifying Kazakh ethnic identity. To date, 13 applications have been reviewed, 9 approved and 4 denied. Program Development and Future Outlook In 2024, around 9,500 resettlement quotas were allocated, with 2,477 used by Kandas and 4,500 by internal migrants. The Ministry plans to increase the annual quota by 500 people moving...

repatriation Ethnic Kazakhs Ata Zholy Program

Ethnic Kazakhs Returning to Their Historical Homeland

Ethnic Kazakhs holding foreign citizenship have received a total of 65 "Ata Zholy" cards, granting them the right to live and work in Kazakhstan for 10 years, the Kazakh Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population has announced. Of these, 27 cards were issued to business immigrants seeking to establish and develop enterprises in Kazakhstan, while 38 cards were granted to qualified professional, including physicists, mathematicians, chemical engineers, maxillofacial surgeons, and paediatricians. The recipients have arrived from Russia, Germany, Mongolia, China, the United States, Israel, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Finland, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. The Ata Zholy Program The Ata Zholy (Path of Ancestors) card was introduced in July 2023 to strengthen ties between ethnic Kazakhs abroad and their historical homeland while attracting skilled professionals and entrepreneurs to Kazakhstan. Holders of the card retain their foreign citizenship and receive a 10-year residence permit, allowing them to live anywhere in Kazakhstan. They enjoy equal rights with Kazakh citizens, including access to social benefits and employment opportunities, and can apply for Kazakh citizenship through a simplified process. However, as foreign nationals, Ata Zholy cardholders cannot vote, run for office, or hold public service positions. Growing Number of Ethnic Kazakh Returnees The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection also reported that since the beginning of 2025, 1,070 ethnic Kazakhs have returned to Kazakhstan and obtained "Kanda" status, a designation for ethnic Kazakhs and their family members who have never previously held Kazakh citizenship. The Kandas who arrived in 2024 came from: China - 51.9% Uzbekistan - 37.5% Turkmenistan - 7.1% Russia - 1.8% Other countries - 1.7% Since gaining independence in 1991, Kazakhstan has welcomed over a million ethnic Kazakhs back to their homeland.

Traditions Cultural Heritage Ethnic Kazakhs Food Silk Road Treasures national traditions

Kumys, Beshbarmak, and Other Wonders of the Kazakh Feast

Autumn in Kazakhstan is traditionally a time of abundant treats. Today, local chefs and experts are trying to break the stereotype of Kazakhstan having a bland and unhealthy national cuisine, and are actively marketing it to foreign guests. The modern cuisine of Kazakhstan has absorbed a variety of Asian dishes, but also includes dishes from Soviet cuisine. Almost every Kazakhstani family is familiar with borscht and dumplings borrowed from Russians and Ukrainians, pilaf and samsa brought by Uzbeks, shashlik taken from the Caucasian peoples, and funchoza (Asian salad with noodles) and kuksi (cold noodle soup) adopted from Koreans. Of course, as in many parts of the former Soviet Union, Olivier salad is traditionally prepared on New Year's Eve in Kazakhstan. Turkish dishes have also become part of the daily diet in the years since independence. For example, it is impossible to imagine today's fast food without the doner kebab. International fast food, such as pizza, hamburgers, and sushi, have also become popular in big cities. Nevertheless, traditional Kazakh dishes form the basis of the country's eclectic cuisine. Beshbarmak is truly a Khan's dish. Any festive occasion is unthinkable without it, and restaurants specializing in traditional cuisine must include it in their menus. In its original version, beshbarmak is prepared from salted horse meat, including kazy, shujuk, and karta (horse intestines). Unleavened dough, potatoes, onions, and spices are also added. However, today, a variant using beef is also widespread. [caption id="attachment_25083" align="aligncenter" width="1254"] Kazakh national dish, beshbarmak; image: iStock[/caption] Beshbarmak, like many Turkic dishes, is the subject of constant dispute between Kazakhs and Kyrgyz. The neighboring peoples will always espouse different views on the question of whom created the dish. The differences in the recipe are not very significant; in Kazakhstan, the dough is usually cut into large rhombuses, and in Kyrgyzstan, into small oblong pieces. Tatarstan and Bashkiria also lay claim to the Khan's dish. There, mutton rather than beef is most often added to horse meat. Another pillar of Kazakh cuisine is kuirdak. Each family cherishes its version of the recipe, and kuirdak must be served in any restaurant claiming to serve the national cuisine. The dish starts with cuts of mutton and organ meat, such as heart, liver, and kidneys. These cuts are fried in sheep fat alongside potatoes, onions, parsley, and spices. [caption id="attachment_25084" align="aligncenter" width="1254"] Traditional dish kuirdak; image: iStock[/caption] Unfortunately, the most traditional Kazakh dishes are not always available to foreigners, as some can now be tasted only in villages. For example, in honor of the arrival of guests, before the main meal, guests are offered a boiled sheep's head. It is cut right at the table, and each part (ears, eyes, tongue, etc.) is served according to the status of the guests. Another dish rarely served in restaurants is baked mutton brains. Ethnographers continue to search for and re-popularize national dishes that were common before the Russian Revolution but have now virtually disappeared in cities. For example, the ritual dish Ylpershek was...

Ethnicity Ethnic Kazakhs Government Legislation Migration

Ethnic Kazakhs Continue To Return to Kazakhstan

In 2024, a total of 12,325 ethnic Kazakhs returned to their ancestral homeland, gaining the status of "Kandas," a term for ethnic Kazakhs and/or members of their families of Kazakh nationality who have not previously held citizenship of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Since independence, Kazakhstan has welcomed 1.14 million returnees. This year, 45.6% of the arrivals came from China, 39.2% from Uzbekistan, and the remainder almost exclusively from Turkmenistan, Mongolia, and Russia. As of September 1, 2024, the majority of these individuals are working-age adults (58.2%) with higher or secondary education. Many have secured employment and received support for resettlement in labor-deficient regions, such as Akmola and Kostanay. Kazakhstan actively supports these returnees with relocation subsidies of 258,400 tenge ($540) per family member, and offers housing and utility subsidies for a year. Economic mobility programs also provide assistance towards purchasing housing and obtaining favorable mortgage rates. Furthermore, the process to obtain Kandas status has been streamlined, allowing applications through Kazakhstani embassies without the need to enter the country. This pilot program, started in 2023, has already processed 17,158 applications. Since 2020, the term "Kandas," meaning "tribesman" or "one-brother," has replaced "Oralman," reflecting a more positive and respectful connotation. This change is part of a broader effort to simplify citizenship processes for returnees, offering access to residency and citizenship through streamlined procedures, boosting the nation's labor potential and economic growth.

Kazakhstan Ethnic Kazakhs repatriation

Kazakhstan Encourages Ethnic Kazakhs to Return to Historical Homeland

According to the Kazakh Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population, from January -April this year, 4,351 ethnic Kazakhs returned to their historical homeland and received repatriate status. Since 1991, 1,132,700 ethnic Kazakhs have returned to the country. From 2023, a pilot scheme, to assign repatriate status based on the “one window” principle through the embassies of Kazakhstan abroad has accepted applications from 7,518 ethnic Kazakhs. Amongst this this year’s repatriates, 51.1% arrived from China; 31.9% from Uzbekistan; 6.4% from Turkmenistan; 5.4% from Mongolia; 3.7% from Russia, and 1.5% from elsewhere. Those of working age made up 59.1%, minors, 31.7%, and retired people, 9.2%. Repatriates are resettled by the government in labour-scarce regions in the north and east of the country including Akmola, Abay, Kostanay and Pavlodar. To support their relocation, the state provides subsidies for each family member, and financial aid towards rent and payment of utility bills. The government has also introduced an economic mobility certificate for the purchase or construction of housing, and will partly cover down payment on mortgage loans of up to 50% or 4.28 million tenge per family. In addition, the government offers support to employers involved in the resettlement of repatriates in its northern regions.