Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASHGABAT679
2009-06-02 11:58:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: MIGRATION OFFICIALS DO NOT
how-toVZCZCXRO8279 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNEH RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHAH #0679 1531158 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 021158Z JUN 09 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2892 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 5247 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2983 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2848 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 3491 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTO DC RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 3585
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000679
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SMIG PGOV PHUM SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: MIGRATION OFFICIALS DO NOT
ACKNOWLEDGE OBSTACLES TO EMIGRATION
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000679
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SMIG PGOV PHUM SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: MIGRATION OFFICIALS DO NOT
ACKNOWLEDGE OBSTACLES TO EMIGRATION
1. (SBU) On May 27, Political Officer met with Senior
Inspector of the Central Apparatus of the State Migration
Service, Mekan Hojayev, and Acting Head of the Visa
Department, Dowran Kurbannazarov, to discuss the situation of
freedom of emigration in Turkmenistan. Hojayev stated that
according to the Turkmen Constitution, the right of citizens
to freely enter and leave the country is guaranteed. The
only reasons to restrict emigration by a citizen are if an
individual has broken the law or if an individual is found to
be a security threat to a neighboring country, determined in
coordination with that country's government.
2. (SBU) Hojayev denied the existence of any list of citizens
who are not allowed to the leave Turkmenistan (a
"blacklist"),and then qualified his statement by saying that
"at least (he) was not aware of it." He offered that the
only such list would consist of names of criminals, who have
been sentenced based on a judicial decision. Any such
restriction would only apply for a fixed period, and would
not last a lifetime. Hojayev mentioned that the number of
Turkmen departing the country increased during the past year,
however, when asked for emigration statistics, he suggested
that the Embassy send a diplomatic note to the Foreign
Ministry requesting the figures. Concerning November 2008
revisions to the Law on Migration, Hojayev said the changes
were minor technical corrections that did not result in a
substantive change of the law.
3. (SBU) COMMENT: These officials were adamant that the
Turkmen Government does not restrict the right of its
citizens to leave the country. Their position flies in the
face of numerous, credible reports of individuals, with no
criminal record, being blocked from leaving the country.
Apparently even a token acknowledgement of a possible problem
was not in accordance with the guidance they had been given.
This attitude makes it difficult to expect that the situation
will improve any time soon.
MILES
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SMIG PGOV PHUM SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: MIGRATION OFFICIALS DO NOT
ACKNOWLEDGE OBSTACLES TO EMIGRATION
1. (SBU) On May 27, Political Officer met with Senior
Inspector of the Central Apparatus of the State Migration
Service, Mekan Hojayev, and Acting Head of the Visa
Department, Dowran Kurbannazarov, to discuss the situation of
freedom of emigration in Turkmenistan. Hojayev stated that
according to the Turkmen Constitution, the right of citizens
to freely enter and leave the country is guaranteed. The
only reasons to restrict emigration by a citizen are if an
individual has broken the law or if an individual is found to
be a security threat to a neighboring country, determined in
coordination with that country's government.
2. (SBU) Hojayev denied the existence of any list of citizens
who are not allowed to the leave Turkmenistan (a
"blacklist"),and then qualified his statement by saying that
"at least (he) was not aware of it." He offered that the
only such list would consist of names of criminals, who have
been sentenced based on a judicial decision. Any such
restriction would only apply for a fixed period, and would
not last a lifetime. Hojayev mentioned that the number of
Turkmen departing the country increased during the past year,
however, when asked for emigration statistics, he suggested
that the Embassy send a diplomatic note to the Foreign
Ministry requesting the figures. Concerning November 2008
revisions to the Law on Migration, Hojayev said the changes
were minor technical corrections that did not result in a
substantive change of the law.
3. (SBU) COMMENT: These officials were adamant that the
Turkmen Government does not restrict the right of its
citizens to leave the country. Their position flies in the
face of numerous, credible reports of individuals, with no
criminal record, being blocked from leaving the country.
Apparently even a token acknowledgement of a possible problem
was not in accordance with the guidance they had been given.
This attitude makes it difficult to expect that the situation
will improve any time soon.
MILES