“Home is not where you are born, home is where all your attempts to escape cease”
Being concerned for his own life and the safety of his loved ones, 33-year-old Afghan refugee Abdul Muhammad Navobi had to leave his parents, friends, work and home in the Afghan province of Parwan, to move to another country. “We came to Tajikistan from Afghanistan...
UNHCR, civil society and other partners strengthen collaboration for resolving statelessness in Central Asia
From 24 to 26 April 2022, the Central Asian Network on Statelessness (CANS), jointly with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), organized the 6th CANS Annual Meeting and the UNHCR Sub-Regional Consultations on Statelessness, to discuss current progress, opportunities,...
Improving statelessness determination procedures in Kazakhstan
In November 2021 the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, conducted a workshop to assist the work of the Migration Service Committee of the MIA, officials from its territorial departments, and civil society partners in identifying and documenting stateless persons. Statelessness...
JOINT STATEMENT: On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the start of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence
2021 Theme: Orange the World: END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN NOW! Today, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we stand together to re-affirm our collective commitment to ending violence against women and girls. Today, we commend women...
UNHCR jointly with the Government of Turkmenistan conducted an International Conference on Statelessness Eradication in Central Asia
On 10 September UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, jointly with the Government of Turkmenistan, organized in the hybrid format the International Conference on Statelessness Eradication in Central Asia aimed at sharing best practices between countries in the region on...
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Manizha took part in the World Youth Rights Conference in Uzbekistan
On 12 August, UN Refugee Agency Goodwill Ambassador, independent musician Manizha Sangin took part in the World Youth Rights Conference in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Manizha, whose family was forced to move from Tajikistan to Russia due to the civil war, knows from her own...
After being vaccinated 86-year-old refugee hopes to finally see her grandson
Roza, a 86-year-old refugee, is busy with housework around her small cozy apartment in Tashkent. You can hardly guess her age looking at her face and bright eyes. She is full of energy making plans and determined to implement them. Now, Roza’s main goal is to visit...
DAFI scholarship helps a refugee in Tajikistan unlock her potential
Roia, a 23-year-old Afghan refugee living in Tajikistan, studies international law at the Tajik State University of Commerce. She actively participates in conferences, debates, and other student activities and writes articles about global issues. She is very keen on...
“Maybe one day I will be a great doctor too” – refugee student dreams to open hospital in Kyrgyzstan
Malikha, a 24-year-old Afghan refugee, studies medicine at Osh State University. She has been living in Kyrgyzstan with her parents and siblings since 2009. While still in school Malikha grew interested in biology and anatomy, and later realized that she wants to...
Stateless no longer, a tourism professor dreams of future travel
Standing in a small auditorium at Bukhara State University in central Uzbekistan, Bakhtiyor Navruzzoda opens a tourism conference with a warm welcome to the participants. Due to travel restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic, most of the participants have...
Stateless for 20 years, a filmmaker becomes an Uzbek citizen at last
Ali Choriev sits in his office in central Bukhara and struggles to hold back tears. “I wasted a lot of time and missed many opportunities. I had a lot of amazing offers. Believe me, you can always find money for bread, but if you don’t have human dignity, a voice,...
UNHCR supports enhancing referral mechanisms for refugees and asylum seekers in Kyrgyzstan during COVID-19
On 17 February, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) handed over 33 information stands to the State Border Service as part of the ongoing cooperation to enhance referral mechanisms and ensure protection and preserve the rights of refugees and asylum-seekers in the Kyrgyz...