Russia and the CIS (bbabo.net) - In recent years, a steady negative migration trend has formed in Kazakhstan, that is, more people left the country than entered it. However, this spring the situation changed dramatically, because a stream of people from both Russia and Ukraine headed into the country. If the Ukrainians are fleeing the fighting, the Russians hope to regain the former standard of living lost due to sanctions and the freedom of action limited by new laws.
“It is too early to draw any conclusions. But I can already say now that families from Russia are settling into the rooms, namely from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Krasnodar, even Ulan-Ude. Basically, the demand is for double rooms. Families with children come, also with animals,” Rakhat Mederbekova, head of a hostel in Almaty, told Tengrinews.
“Among the visitors there are also many transit workers. They use Almaty as a hub, so that later they can go somewhere else, since foreign flights are canceled in Russia itself. The guys come here for two or three days, maybe a week. There are entrepreneurs who would like to open their business here, they monitor the market and send their managers. I talked to some people, maybe they will be deployed here. Even the arrival of guests from Russia may be associated with monetary issues. For example, customers asked if they could come here by car and sell it here for dollars, because here it is possible. They said that they even agree to drop the price, but sell it for dollars,” she says.
Groups are now being created in messengers, where those wishing to move to Kazakhstan ask various questions to each other and give advice. The main topics of interest to future migrants are the execution of documents necessary for temporary residence, obtaining a payment card from a Kazakhstani bank, as well as the nuances associated with employment.
Offers from employers, property owners, lawyers, etc. are also published there. Many offer to provide their assistance free of charge.
Artem Skopin runs the Tuyuk-Su mountaineering camp in Almaty. He posted an announcement that his team is ready to settle in the camp until April 25 those who are now forced by circumstances to leave Ukraine or Russia. Artem commented to us that the accommodation will be free, people will also have access to the canteen where they can organize meals for themselves. Only 50 places.
However, not all Kazakhs welcome migrants. Some of them are convinced that the mass relocation of Russians to Kazakhstan will increase unemployment in the country, reports DW.
“We faced the first wave of Russians in 2014. At first, we treated them well. They differ little from us, and the specialists are not bad. One was even appointed deputy director of the company where I worked. This is where it started. Six months later, the first “staff optimization” was carried out, the Kazakhs were fired, and Russians came to their places. A year later, the deputy director moved to the director's chair. As a result, out of 25 Kazakhs who worked in the company before the arrival of the Russians, now only seven are left,” Larisa Shiyan, a former employee of one of the Almaty transport and logistics companies, tells her story.
To help refugees from Ukraine, Kazakhstanis create volunteer groups. An activist from one of these groups, Yekaterina Kostenko, noted that she did not know about any official program of assistance from Kazakhstan to the residents of Ukraine.
“Our volunteer group is still working independently. Through our friends in Ukraine, we collect lists of people wishing to come to Kazakhstan. There is a team of volunteers consisting of lawyers who help to find a job for more than 3 months. There are volunteers who help solve the issues of providing housing and medical care,” said Kostenko.
The head of the press service of the Committee for International Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yerlan Zhetybaev said that citizens of Ukraine can easily come to Kazakhstan and, within the framework of existing rules, stay in the country without a visa for 90 days.
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