Overview
The UNHCR Representation to Central Asia is based in Almaty, managing UNHCR activities across the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Since their independence in 1991, Central Asian countries have generously sheltered thousands of people fleeing war, persecution, or human rights violations. Central Asia was also home to a considerable stateless population – largely a result of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. UNHCR now works with Central Asian governments to support their protection of forcibly displaced and stateless people, focusing on strengthening local ownership of and investment in quality asylum systems, pursuing opportunities for local integration of refugees, eradicating statelessness, and building capacity to respond to emergencies.
Refugees in Central Asia JSON 
7,636
Last updated 31 Dec 2023
Source - UNHCR, Government 
Refugees by Location JSON  .CSV 
Location name Source Data date Population
Kazakhstan Government 31 Dec 2023   3.6% 273
Kyrgyzstan Government 31 Dec 2023   3.3% 251
Tajikistan UNHCR 31 Dec 2023   92.9% 7,094
Turkmenistan UNHCR 31 Dec 2023   0.2% 13
Uzbekistan UNHCR 31 Dec 2023   0.1% 5

Refugee-like in Central Asia JSON 
9,400
Last updated 31 Dec 2023
Source - UNHCR, Government 
People in refugee-like situations by Location JSON 
Location name Source Data date Population
Uzbekistan UNHCR, Government 31 Dec 2023   100.0% 9,400

People in refugee-like situation refers to a category which is descriptive in nature and includes groups of people who are outside their country or territory of origin and who face protection risks similar to those of refugees, but for whom refugee status has, for practical or other reasons, not been ascertained. For Uzbekistan, people in refugee-like situations include Afghan nationals residing temporarily in Uzbekistan. This is according to publicly accessible information, as there are no official data provided by the Government of Uzbekistan.

Asylum-seekers in Central Asia JSON 
3,075
Last updated 31 Dec 2023
Source - Government, UNHCR 
Asylum-seekers by Location JSON  .CSV 
Location name Source Data date Population
Kazakhstan Government 31 Dec 2023   15.6% 480
Kyrgyzstan Government 31 Dec 2023   39.2% 1,206
Tajikistan UNHCR, Government 31 Dec 2023   45.2% 1,389

Stateless persons in Central Asia JSON 
37,819
Last updated 31 Dec 2023
Source - UNHCR, Government, NGO 
Stateless persons by Location JSON 
Location name Source Data date Population
Kazakhstan UNHCR, Government 31 Dec 2023   20.9% 7,892
Kyrgyzstan UNHCR, Government 31 Dec 2023   0.1% 21
Tajikistan UNHCR, Government 31 Dec 2023   10.1% 3,827
Turkmenistan NGO 31 Dec 2023   9.5% 3,583
Uzbekistan Government 31 Dec 2023   59.5% 22,496

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    Publish date: 16 March 2023 (1 year ago)
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    Publish date: 25 April 2024 (20 days ago)
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    Publish date: 29 September 2022 (1 year ago)
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    Publish date: 19 April 2023 (1 year ago)
    Create date: 19 April 2023 (1 year ago)
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    Publish date: 30 April 2024 (15 days ago)
    Create date: 1 May 2024 (14 days ago)
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    Publish date: 22 January 2024 (3 months ago)
    Create date: 22 January 2024 (3 months ago)
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    •   View all (61)
    UNHCR is grateful for contributions directly to operations in Central Asia, as well as donors of unearmarked and flexible funding, including from: Australia | Belgium | Denmark | European Union | Ireland | Netherlands | Norway | Republic of Korea | Sweden | Switzerland | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | U.S.A.

    Funding (2024)
    $10,033,900
    Total appeal
    Date of Funding Data 30 April 2024 (15 days ago)
    UNHCR Central Asia HELP
      UNHCR Central Asia News and Stories
    Even more than a fighting spirit [15 April 2024]
    Mustafa was just 6 years old when he came to Turkmenistan as a refugee. He completed school, learned Turkmen & Russian, and made Turkmenistan home. He also developed a love for a popular national sport - kickboxing
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    The meeting aimed to raise awareness of the situation of refugees in Kazakhstan and discuss aligning national legislation with international standards.
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      UNHCR Central Asia Microdata Library

    The UNHCR Microdata Library (MDL) contains unit-level microdata collected directly by UNHCR or indirectly through its partners. Metadata, reports, or survey questionnaires are also provided for complementary information on the datasets. All datasets on the MDL are anonymized and available to researchers and humanitarian organizations upon request. Organizations which collect relevant data are highly encouraged to submit datasets for dissemination through the MDL.

  • Post-Distribution Monitoring of Cash-Based Intervention 2023

    Kazakhstan, 2023   MicroData View details | Get Microdata | 0 |
    Authoring Entity: UNHCR
    Published: 28 December 2023

  • Post-Distribution Monitoring of Cash-Based Intervention 2023

    Kyrgyzstan, 2023   MicroData View details | Get Microdata | 0 |
    Authoring Entity: UNHCR
    Published: 26 January 2024

  • Results Monitoring Survey 2023

    Tajikistan, 2023   MicroData View details | Get Microdata | 0 |
    Authoring Entity: UNHCR
    Published: 01 April 2024
    • UNHCR Central Asia Social Media
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    For more information, please contact the following focal point(s)

    For any inquiry kazal@unhcr.org