UZBEK MIGRANTS EYE VISA-FREE TURKEY

C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 000129

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN BRIAN RORAFF; G/TIP FOR MEGAN HALL,
JENNIFER DONNELLY, AND SHEREEN FARAJ; INL/AAE FOR ANDREW
BUHLER
MOSCOW FOR LISA KIERANS AND JOANNA MELVILLE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM CVIS KCRM KWMN ECON SOCI TU UZ
SUBJECT: UZBEK MIGRANTS EYE VISA-FREE TURKEY

REF: A. 07 TASHKENT 1681

B. ANKARA 89

C. 07 TASHKENT 1829

Classified By: Poloff Tim Buckley for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)


1. (C) Summary: On January 13 poloff, who previously served
as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bukhara, learned that his Uzbek
former counterpart teacher was departing immediately -- and
possibly forever -- for Turkey. Having been frustrated at
recent attempts to find work abroad in Russia, Cyprus, and
the United Kingdom, the veteran English language teacher and
former U.S. program alumna decided to take advantage of a
recent change in Turkish policy granting Uzbek citizens
visa-free entry into Turkey. By January 24, having depleted
her modest cash reserves and unable to secure legal
employment, she returned to Tashkent. The story is a
troubling example of just how desperate highly educated but
poorly compensated professionals are to escape Uzbekistan;
life is especially complicated for single women who must deal
with social stigmas in addition to dismally low salaries.
The new Turkish visa regime will likely lead to a surge in
the number of intending immigrants arriving from Central
Asia, and many will likely be trafficked. End summary.

Will the last one out of Bukhara Please Turn Off the Lights?
-------------- --------------


2. (C) Poloff, who previously served in Bukhara as a Peace
Corps Volunteer (2002-04),learned on January 13 that his
former colleague and Peace Corps-designated
counterpart/mentor intended to depart immediately -- and
preferably forever -- for Turkey. The veteran English
teacher, who is a U.S. exchange program alumna, earns less
than USD 100 per month on her official salary despite years
of experience as Chair of her English Department and a
Master's degree. She is in her late thirties and unmarried,
so suffers from a cultural stigma as an "old maid,"
especially in the rural village of Romitan in Bukhara
Province where her extended family resides. She has also
been frequently harassed by local National Security Service
agents due to her friendship with poloff, possession of
U.S.-donated educational materials, and participation in
U.S.-sponsored travel abroad (reftel A). She confided that
she was trying very hard to go abroad -- "I love my hometown
but I need to earn more money." She had scoured the Internet
in search of teaching opportunities abroad, and naively
trusted many Internet contacts about alleged opportunities on
earlier occasions.


3. (C) This Bukhara teacher is not alone in her aspirations
to emigrate. Another former colleague, also a talented
English teacher and U.S. program alumna, made her way to
England as a tourist and has no intention of coming back, and
hopes to "become legal" by marrying a British citizen. A
third capable English teacher, former colleague, and U.S.
program alumna tried to return to the U.S., this time with
her family, but did not get by our visa regime. Poloff's
former counterpart has four brothers, three of whom live in
Russia while one remains in Bukhara Province due to a mental
disability. Poloff reminisced with his former colleague
while looking at photo albums, and more than half of the male
students poloff taught -- who are approximately 21 years old
now -- have already left for Russia to work and, in some
cases, to work and study. One exceptional student is even
studying in America, which to Bukharans means he made it big.
Poloff strolled around the frozen streets of Bukhara two
weeks ago and the few young men around said a lot of their
friends are doing construction in Kazakhstan. One had
borrowed thousands of dollars from relatives to buy a car
(vehicles are overpriced in Uzbekistan due to strict import
controls that protect UzDaewoo's monopoly),and is hoping to
repay everyone and make a living as an unofficial taxi
driver.

"No Uzbeks Like Living in Russia"
--------------


4. (C) While large numbers of Uzbeks are migrating north to
find work in Russia and, increasingly, Kazakhstan, the bulk
of the available work is grueling manual labor.
Professionals prefer to find opportunities farther afield in
western Europe or, against the odds, in the U.S. Poloff's
counterpart first borrowed money last fall -- in typical
Uzbek fashion -- from a group of family members to make the
journey to Russia. The bus journey from Bukhara to Moscow
cost USD 200 one-way and took four days, longer than
necessary because of delays at customs and border
checkpoints. She reported that it is now tougher to get
official registration than it used to be, and it is necessary
to bribe local officials and hope that they actually follow
through and stamp the papers. While she could have found
work as a cleaning lady, she could not get work authorization
to teach. She said the high cost of living is also a
problem, even when sharing room and board with other
countrymen. Hardy Uzbeks can handle cold weather, but she
said Uzbeks feel mistreated in Russia and and tolerate life
there only out of economic necessity. Numerous Bukharans
told poloff that laborers all share a desire to return home
for good someday, and they invest their hard-earned money by
gradually constructing new houses in their native Bukhara.
The partially-built abodes are also considered safer places
to invest than banks.

Cyprus as a Stepping Stone?
--------------


5. (C) Many Uzbeks are apparently looking to Cyprus as a
possible working destination or entry-point, as poloff's
former counterpart teacher did recently. A group of
Bukharans made Internet contact with someone who said they
could set them up with work on the Greek side of the island
(Note: Uzbeks are a Turkic people, but it's the European
Union that they are interested in. End note.) There is a
sense, also noticed by our consular staff in Tashkent, that
intending immigrants believe that Cyprus must be easier to
enter since it is a new, far-flung corner of the European
Union. Poloff's former counterpart hoped to find any sort of
work in Cyprus and then, once she had a firm footing on
European Union soil, eventually move to the United Kingdom.
The group unsuccessfully tried to obtain Cyprus visas in
Russia (again believing that an application from outside of
Uzbekistan would have a greater chance of approval),and
other Uzbeks reportedly obtained documents but were turned
back en route. She returned, in debt to her circle of
relatives, to Uzbekistan.

Turkey and Bust
--------------


6. (C) As of August 1, 2007 Turkey implemented a new policy
eliminating a visa requirement for nationals of Uzbekistan,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Mongolia.
Georgian, Kazakh, and Kyrgyz citizens already enjoyed
visa-free travel, so all Central Asians can now simply board
a plane for Istanbul and receive a 30-day tourist stamp at
the airport (reftel B). However, many Uzbeks do not
understand or choose to ignore issues like immigration status
or work authorization and believe that they can enter Turkey
and find work. Poloff's former counterpart teacher thus
borrowed more money from her family for a chance at
redemption and higher wages in Turkey and purchased a
round-trip plane ticket for about $600. She made Internet
contacts with English language schools who provided her free
lodging while she unsuccessfully tried to adjust her status.
In accordance with Turkish laws, several educational
institutions refused to employ her without the necessary
papers despite genuine interest in her skills. She was
offered illegal employment at some cafes and hotels (most
Uzbeks speak Russian, which was of interest to Turkish
entrepreneurs),but she was uncomfortable with the
arrangements -- and aggressive attention from Turkish men --
and returned to Uzbekistan once her meager pocket money was
gone.


7. (C) Poloff spoke with Ela Beskardes-Karagol, Second
Secretary at the Turkish Embassy in Tashkent, who confirmed

SIPDIS
that the numbers of Uzbeks traveling to Turkey are increasing
since the visa regime was lifted. She noted that "every
plane is full," but they do not have statistics yet as to
whether there is an increase in the number of Uzbeks
trafficked to Turkey or unlawfully present. However, she
noted that the Turkish Foreign Ministry is well aware of the
potential risks and said they are investigating several
claims. Turkey was already one of the top five destination
countries for trafficked Uzbeks before the more lenient visa
regime took effect, according to data from the International
Organization for Migration (IOM)-affiliated organization
Istiqbolli Avlod (reftel C). Beskardes-Karagol added that
Turkey implemented this new policy as a unilateral move with
no expectation of reciprocity by Uzbekistan or the other
affected countries. The Turkish Embassy does issue work
visas to Uzbeks, but only when there is an approved petition
from a potential employer; fraud among Uzbek applicants to
Turkey is common.

How About Tashkent?
--------------


8. (C) Decompressing from her failed trip to Turkey, poloff's
former counterpart teacher pondered a move to Tashkent, but
even that is fraught with difficulties. Uzbeks from other
regions require an internal residency permit from a division
of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to move to another
location within the country, especially to Tashkent. She
estimated a residency stamp in her domestic passport would
cost close to USD 1,000, and of course the cost-of-living is
higher. However, poloff also met one of her former students,
a wealthy Bukharan whose family recently relocated to
Tashkent for better business connections, and the young man
advised his former teacher to obtain a temporary six-month
residency permit to stay in Tashkent and renew it every six
months -- "it's what all of us really do." He noted that
Uzbek law does permit citizens to look for work upon receipt
of a temporary residence permit, and said the official cost
is the equivalent of five dollars. However, he conceded the
actual cost is at least fifty dollars "if you want to ensure
it gets processed without problems." The teacher was
relieved to discover the bribe was more affordable than she
anticipated, and the contrast between impoverished teacher
and her affluent former student was striking.

Comment:
--------------


9. (C) While the subject in this story was uncomfortable with
the idea of working illegally in Turkey in a menial job, it
is clear that the word is out among attentive Uzbeks that
Turkey is easy to get into. Even highly educated Uzbeks can
be naive about regulations and, worse, may be willing to
trust unknown Internet sources about employment
opportunities. This will almost certainly lead to an
increase in the number of trafficking-in-persons cases from
Uzbekistan, the most populous country in the region, to
Turkey. European Union countries may remain the promised
land, but remittance-hungry Uzbeks will likely start pooling
funds to help laborers get to Turkey, with whom they share
some linguistic and cultural ties. Turkey's visa-free policy
may generate more goodwill in Central Asia than it bargained
for.

NORLAND