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Middle East Crisis

Uzbekistan Repatriates Over 21,700 Citizens from Middle East

Uzbekistan has repatriated 21,712 citizens from several Middle Eastern countries as of 07:00 on March 9, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said, as evacuation efforts continue amid regional instability. Most of those returned came from Saudi Arabia, where 17,963 citizens were brought back to Uzbekistan. Additional repatriations included 3,290 people from the United Arab Emirates, 378 from Qatar, 47 from Iran, 27 from Bahrain, and seven from Oman. The ministry said the return of Uzbek citizens is being carried out “systematically and in stages,” with authorities continuing to coordinate transport and logistics for those seeking to return. Officials noted that many repatriation flights are currently being organized through countries whose airspace remains open to civilian aviation. Uzbekistan’s evacuation reflects the scale of its citizens’ presence across the Gulf. In recent years, the country has expanded labor migration agreements with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, sending thousands of workers into construction, hospitality, and service sectors. Saudi Arabia has also become a major destination for religious travel from Uzbekistan, with large annual flows of pilgrims traveling for the Hajj and Umrah. Kazakhstan has also evacuated citizens during the crisis, bringing 8,585 people home from Middle Eastern countries since the operation began. Central Asian citizens travel widely to Gulf states for work, tourism, and pilgrimage, leaving thousands affected when conflicts disrupt flights and close regional airspace. The number of returned citizens has risen steadily over the past several days. According to the foreign ministry, 19,347 Uzbek citizens had returned home as of 07:00 on March 8. Uzbek diplomatic missions in the region have also issued safety guidance to citizens who remain abroad. In a statement published by the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Israel, citizens were urged to follow official security instructions issued by local authorities. The embassy said red alerts issued by Israel’s civil defense authorities indicate a dangerous situation and require people to stay near protected shelters and immediately enter them if warning sirens sound. Blue alerts indicate that the threat has passed, and people may leave shelters. Other Central Asian countries have also organized evacuations of their citizens. According to Tajik media outlet Asia-Plus, more than 300 citizens of Tajikistan returned home on March 8 on two flights from Dubai. One charter flight brought 130 Tajik citizens to Dushanbe in the morning, while a later flight operated by Somon Air transported another 180 passengers. The charter operation was organized with support from the Tajik embassy in the United Arab Emirates, local authorities, and the airline Flydubai. About 550 Tajik citizens have returned home from Abu Dhabi and Dubai on charter flights in recent days amid the ongoing regional conflict.

Evacuation

Uzbek Citizen Evacuation Flights Continue from Middle East

More than 9,300 citizens of Uzbekistan had been evacuated from countries in the Middle East as of March 5. According to the press service of Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, between March 1 and 10:00 a.m. local time on March 5, a total of 9,361 Uzbek citizens safely returned home from several countries in the region. Officials said the largest number of evacuees arrived from Saudi Arabia, where 8,114 people were transported to Uzbekistan on both regular and specially arranged charter flights. Another 1,192 citizens have so far been repatriated from the United Arab Emirates. Smaller groups were also evacuated from other countries in the region, including 23 citizens from Iran, 25 from Bahrain, and seven from Oman. The ministry said the return of Uzbek nationals is being organized in a structured and phased manner. Officials added that evacuation operations are currently focused on countries whose airspace remains open to civilian flights, with additional flights to be arranged once airspace restrictions are lifted elsewhere in the region. Separately, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Transport reported that by March 5 a total of 41 special flights had been carried out to bring citizens home from the Middle East. According to the ministry, several Uzbekistan-based airlines, including Uzbekistan Airways, Centrum Air, Qanot Sharq, Fly One Asia, Fly Khiva, and Air Samarkand, have been operating evacuation flights. These included routes from Jeddah and Medina in Saudi Arabia to Tashkent, Andijan, Namangan, Urgench, Qarshi, and Samarkand, as well as flights from Dubai to Tashkent. Transport officials said that 36 flights departing from Jeddah and Medina transported 7,988 passengers to Uzbekistan. An additional five flights from Dubai carried 838 people. Several flights were still operating at the time of the ministry’s latest update, including routes from Dubai and Jeddah to Tashkent and Samarkand. Authorities stated that the evacuation process is continuing step by step and urged Uzbek citizens abroad to remain calm, follow local laws, and rely only on official information issued by Uzbekistan’s diplomatic missions and government agencies.

Migrant Workers

Uzbek Migrants Face Growing Risks in Russia as Tashkent Seeks Probe Into Alleged Abuse

Russian security forces reportedly carried out a raid on a café in Khabarovsk in mid-December 2025, during which several Central Asian migrants were allegedly beaten. According to information circulated on social media, two Uzbek citizens fell into a coma following the incident, and one of them subsequently died. On January 2, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it had sent a diplomatic note to Russia requesting an impartial and lawful investigation. The ministry also said steps were being taken to repatriate the deceased’s body. However, it noted that the cause of death has not been officially confirmed, and reports of a second Uzbek in a coma remain unverified. In response to the incident, Alisher Qodirov, member of parliament and leader of the Milliy Tiklanish (National Revival) Democratic Party, issued a stark warning to Uzbek migrants in Russia. “Believe me, the situation will only get worse month by month,” Qodirov wrote on Telegram. “Russian security services see Central Asians as potential participants in future unrest, and they have already given up on any benefit migrants may bring... Use your common sense and leave Russia as soon as possible,” he added. “No income is worth the tears of your parents and children.” As Russia’s war against Ukraine enters its fourth year, labor migrants remain among the most vulnerable and least protected groups affected by the conflict. Central Asian nationals, particularly Uzbeks, face increasing risks of coercion, legal jeopardy, and systemic abuse. By July 2025, at least 902 Uzbek citizens were reported to have been recruited by Russia to fight in Ukraine. Independent monitors believe the true figure is considerably higher. In October 2025, the ‘I want to live’ project identified 2,715 Uzbek nationals who had participated in the conflict, including those recruited illegally, those who signed contracts, and ethnic Uzbeks already serving in the Russian military. Despite this, Russia remains heavily reliant on migrant labor. As of September 1, 2024, nearly four million citizens from Central Asia were living in Russia. Of these, 1.79 million were from Uzbekistan, followed by significant numbers from Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan. For Uzbekistan, the economic implications of growing pressure on migrants are profound. Remittances remain a cornerstone of the national economy. In the first half of 2025 alone, Uzbekistan received $8.2 billion in cross-border transfers, with 78% originating from Russia. Amid rising xenophobia and labor restrictions, economists warn that this dependence could have severe long-term consequences. Economist Abdulla Abdukadirov, Doctor of Economic Sciences, said total remittances by year-end are expected to approach $20 billion. “This is an extremely large sum,” Abdukadirov said at an offline session of the Fikrat analytical program, responding to a question from The Times of Central Asia. “If the state budget is around $28 billion, then nearly $20 billion in remittances reveals how dependent our economy is becoming on external sources.” Abdukadirov warned that Uzbekistan is developing a dangerous structural dependency. “First, we’re becoming more reliant on external investments and borrowing,” he said. “Second, our dependence on cross-border remittances is deepening.” According...

Forced Labor

Nineteen Uzbek Citizens Repatriated from Ukraine After Forced Labor Exploitation

Nineteen Uzbek nationals who were found in exploitative labor conditions in Ukraine’s Kyiv region have been safely repatriated to Uzbekistan, according to the Dunyo news agency. Ukrainian media had previously reported that the group was subjected to forced labor at a greenhouse facility in the region. In response, the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Kyiv, working in coordination with Ukraine’s National Police and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) offices in Ukraine and Moldova, launched an urgent operation to secure their release and safe return. Dunyo reports that the embassy took swift and comprehensive measures to safeguard the victims’ rights, address documentation issues, and facilitate their departure. Following negotiations, all 19 individuals were officially recognized as victims under Ukrainian law, allowing them to avoid legal penalties or administrative charges. On October 28, with financial and logistical support from the IOM, the group was transported by road from Kyiv to Chișinău, Moldova. While in the Moldovan capital, they were provided with food, shelter, and essential services. On November 2 the group flew from Chișinău to Istanbul, arriving in Urgench in Uzbekistan on November 3, accompanied by IOM representatives. The operation was hailed as part of Uzbekistan’s broader commitment to protecting the rights and welfare of its citizens abroad. The Uzbek Embassy in Ukraine continues to monitor the status of its nationals in the country and respond promptly to any reported violations.

Russian-Ukrainian war

Uzbek Migrants Coerced to Fight in Russia’s War

Russia has recruited at least 902 citizens of Uzbekistan to fight in its war against Ukraine since the beginning of 2025, including individuals as young as 19, according to the “I Want to Live” (Хочу жить) project, which cited sources within the Russian armed forces. Despite heightened scrutiny in Uzbekistan following earlier reports of its nationals joining the conflict, recruitment efforts have continued to expand. “These are people who no longer belong to themselves,” the project stated, adding that the recruitment methods remain largely unchanged. The group reported that Uzbek labor migrants arriving in Russia are often lured by promises of lucrative employment, typically in construction or rear-echelon military units. A key incentive remains the promise of expedited Russian citizenship. Meanwhile, Uzbek nationals serving prison terms in Russia are reportedly pressured into enlisting through threats and psychological coercion. The project also highlighted the use of blackmail, especially targeting migrants who recently obtained Russian citizenship. Alexander Bastrykin, head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, recently acknowledged that more than 5,000 raids had been carried out, during which 90,000 people were "caught", a term he used himself. Of those, 30,000 signed contracts and were sent to the front lines, reflecting the coercive nature of the campaign. The report added that prisoners of war from 33 countries are currently held in Ukraine, with Uzbekistan reportedly having the highest number of foreign nationals among them. Separately, on June 5, 2025, a delegation from Uzbekistan’s Defense Ministry, led by Deputy Minister Colonel Alisher Narbaev, visited the “Postoyalye Dvory” military training ground in Russia’s Kursk region. The visit has raised questions amid ongoing concerns about the recruitment of Uzbek citizens into Russia’s war effort. “Every signed contract is a one-way ticket,” the “I Want to Live” project warned, urging the Uzbek government to take a stronger stance in protecting its citizens from being drawn into the conflict. Earlier this year, The Times of Central Asia reported that Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Service accused Russia of coercing Central Asian citizens, particularly labor migrants from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, into military service. Many of those recruited under the guise of volunteering are sent directly to high-risk front-line positions, where survival chances are slim.

Human Trafficking

Most Uzbeks Recognize Human Trafficking Risks, Survey Shows

July 30 marks World Day against Trafficking in Persons, a United Nations-designated observance established in 2013 to raise awareness about one of the most severe human rights violations globally. In conjunction with this date, Uzbekistan’s Ijtimoiy Fikr Center for Public Opinion Research has released the findings of a nationwide survey assessing public awareness of human trafficking and its associated risks. According to the 2025 data, 61.3% of respondents reported being well informed about human trafficking. An additional 29.5% of respondents said they were familiar with the issue but lacked detailed knowledge. Experts caution that such informational gaps can foster misinformation if not addressed through credible sources. Encouragingly, the share of respondents unaware of trafficking risks has declined, reflecting the impact of ongoing awareness initiatives. Television remains the primary source of information for 76.8% of respondents, followed by social media at 54.1%. While digital platforms are increasingly influential, the report underscored the importance of improving media literacy to curb the spread of disinformation. Traditional print media also remains relevant, particularly among older demographics, with 24% citing newspapers or magazines as their main source. When asked how they would respond to a trafficking incident, 78.3% of respondents said they would report it to the police. Other authorities named included the Prosecutor’s Office (47.1%) and the Ombudsman (37.2%), while more than 27% said they would contact an anti-trafficking hotline. Respondents identified the most common forms of trafficking as labor exploitation (68.9%), sexual exploitation (42.1%), illegal organ trade (24.3%), forced begging (23.2%), and child trafficking for adoption (21.3%). Unemployment, economic hardship, and the promise of quick financial gain were cited as the main drivers behind trafficking. Job offers abroad, often made through acquaintances or online platforms, remain the most prevalent method of recruitment. Reassuringly, 91.9% of respondents said they knew of cases where victims had been rescued and successfully reintegrated. Experts view this as a sign that current rescue and rehabilitation programs are making an impact. While 73.1% believe the situation has improved over the past five years, Ijtimoiy Fikr emphasized that human trafficking remains a significant threat in Uzbekistan. The report calls for enhanced legal protections, expanded public education, and deeper international collaboration to maintain momentum. The Center concluded that raising awareness, preventing exploitation, and supporting survivors must remain the core pillars of the national anti-trafficking strategy.