IOM welcomes Kazakh membership

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has formally welcomed Kazakhstan as a full member state. After Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, which joined in 1994 and 2000 respectively, Kazakhstan is the third Central Asian state to join the global network. "IOM welcomes the membership of Kazakhstan, a country that has been shaped by migration," agency spokeswoman, Niurka Pineiro told IRIN from the Swiss city of Geneva on Tuesday. Kazakhstan was a place where Russian dissidents were often deported, as were large numbers of Koreans, Germans and Chechens. She also noted that the country had long proven a place where different ethnic groups had lived together in peace. "Thanks to the mentality of its people and the policy of its leadership, no armed conflict emerged in this multi-ethnic country after the break-up of the Soviet Union," she explained. Her comments follow the unanimous decision to admit Astana at the 84th session of the IOM counsel meeting in Geneva on Monday. In addition to Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Rwanda, Cambodia and Zimbabwe also joined, bringing to 98 the total number of member states. Three applications for observer status were also accepted, including Burundi, and rights watchdog groups, Amnesty International (AI) and Human Rights Watch (HRW), bringing to 33 the total number of observers. Pineiro said Kazakhstan faced major migration challenges, including the integration of over 200,000 Kazakh immigrants from Russia as well as a net decrease in the population as a consequence of emigration. Kazakhstan has over 10,000 km of borders to manage and also has to cope with human trafficking, as well as labour migration issues. Kazakhstan used to be primarily a refugee sending country, but due to economic growth it is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for refugees - in particular Chechens. The country has an active immigration policy for ethnic Kazakhs. During 11 years of independence, Kazakhstan has suffered a net loss of two million people. Moreover, the population of the ninth largest country of the world today is less than 15 million, mainly as a consequence of recent emigration of ethnic Russians and Germans from the country. IOM is currently working with Astana on a variety of projects such as the integration of immigrants, counter-trafficking information campaign, as well as legal assistance for migrants. An intergovernmental international organisation first created outside the UN system in 1951, IOM works to ensure the orderly migration of people in need of international assistance.