1. Reported Stateless Persons
By the end of 2022, there were 27,389 reported stateless persons in Uzbekistan, which was a 10,604 decrease from 2021. These numbers also show exceptional improvement in the reduction of statelessness from five years ago, when the reported population reached 97,346 stateless persons. Further, 83,793 cases have been resolved in the country since 2014, evidencing that Uzbekistan has made great strides in identifying and resolving cases of statelessness. UNHCR reported numbers include only stateless persons with permanent residence permits officially reported by the government.
2. Persons at Risk of Statelessness
Foreign citizens at risk of statelessness in Uzbekistan include those going through the naturalization process who do not have descendent links to Uzbekistan applying for naturalization. Uzbek citizens living abroad who have not registered at a consulate in the past 7 years are also at risk of losing their Uzbek citizenship. Children at risk of statelessness include: those born to one foreign citizen and one
Uzbek citizen, those born to one stateless parent and one foreign parent, foundling children who may know the identity of one or both parents, children of undocumented single mothers and children who would otherwise be stateless.
The historically nomadic Lyuli/Mughat community in Uzbekistan comprises an estimated 69,851 people. The Lyuli/Mughat community faces socioeconomic discrimination and marginalization based on their ethnicity with low access to quality education, health, employment and housing. The community tends to be “confined to a low level education, informal employment, temporary housing and unaffordable medical services” and many face barriers in obtaining identity documents placing them at risk of statelessness.
| Country | 2019 (year start) | 2020 (year end) | 2021 (year end) | 2022 (year end) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uzbekistan | 79,942 | 69,791 | 37,993 | 27,389 |
Source: UNHCR, Global Trends: Forced Displacement from 2019-2022.
