Dushanbe, Tajikistan, June 19, 2020 – The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) assisted more than 600 Tajik migrants stranded at the Kazakh-Uzbek border to safely return home. The returning labor migrants, including women and children, and students made the 180-km journey from the Zhibek Zholi border point in Kazakhstan, through Uzbekistan to Tajikistan. This assistance was closely coordinated with the governments of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Since June 3, 2020, over hundreds of Tajik migrants, half of whom were youth, women and children, stranded in Kazakhstan due to COVID-19, moved towards the Uzbek border, with hopes of returning home to Tajikistan. Some of them endured harsh conditions at the border for days with limited access to water, food and sanitary facilities while waiting at the border. Due to lack of shelter, migrants waited out in the open and were exposed to the summer heat during their transit. IOM was able to provide water, food, hygiene kits and personal protection items to transiting migrants in need.

The U.S. government acknowledges the importance of preventing the spread of COVID-19 and safeguarding public health and protecting the rights of migrants in countries of destination, transit and origin.