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- Convenor:
-
Nazgul Baigabatova
(Zhetysu University)
Send message to Convenor
- Chair:
-
Nazgul Baigabatova
(Zhetysu University)
- Discussant:
-
Sherzod Eraliev
(Lund University)
- Format:
- Panel
- Theme:
- Anthropology & Archaeology
Abstract
This panel examines the multifaceted processes of ethnic return migration and integration in contemporary Kazakhstan, offering new perspectives on how repatriation functions not merely as a symbolic “return to the homeland”, but as a complex sociopolitical and socio-economic migration phenomenon. Despite state narratives portraying ethnic return as a natural and seamless process, the lived experiences of Kazakh repatriates reveal a far more nuanced reality shaped by historical legacies, legal frameworks, social dynamics and everyday practices of adaptation. Bringing together historical, legal, and anthropological perspectives, this panel presents how repatriates negotiate belonging, navigate structural constraints. In doing so, it opens up opportunities for a critical rethinking of repatriation itself, allowing us to reconsider its meanings, practices, and implications.
This panel is organized within the framework of the research project AP26197965 “Everyday Life of Ethnic Repatriates in Post-Soviet Kazakhstan: Adaptive Strategies and Integration Practices (Case of the Zhetysu Region)”, highlighting the interdisciplinary investigation of historical, legal, linguistic, and economic dimensions of repatriation. The four papers collectively show that repatriation cannot be divorced from the broader structures of power and historical memory that inform present-day migration experiences.
The first paper evaluates Kazakhstan’s migration policies and legal mechanisms for supporting repatriates, identifying gaps between formal rights and actual implementation on the ground.
The second paper provides an empirical analysis of labor market adaptation among Kazakh repatriates from Uzbekistan settling in the Zhetysu Region, illustrating how economic integration is mediated by regional conditions, social networks, and local attitudes.
Finally, the third paper explores how repatriates use social media, focusing on the ways their language shows negotiation and the shaping of post-migration experiences.
Taken together, these studies highlight the interconnections between historical legacies, state governance, everyday discourse, and processes of integration, demonstrating that repatriation in Kazakhstan should be understood not simply as a return to an ethnic homeland, but as a complex migration process that is ongoing and continuously negotiated. By focusing on multiple dimensions of repatriation, this panel approaches ethnic return as a dynamic site of social transformation and governance in contemporary Kazakhstan, offering important insights for migration studies, post-Soviet scholarship, and policy development.
The working languages of the panel are Kazakh and English.
Accepted papers
Abstract
This article examines migration policy in the Republic of Kazakhstan and the legal framework for the adaptation of ethnic Kazakh returnees (kandas). The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of legal regulation and institutional integration mechanisms by analysing the gap between formal guarantees and their practical implementation. The research methodology combines legal analysis of national legislation, qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with returnees, and secondary analysis of academic and policy literature. The findings demonstrate that while Kazakhstan’s legal model formally provides extended social guarantees and simplified naturalisation procedures for returnees, a significant discrepancy persists between normative provisions and administrative practice. Key barriers include bureaucratic procedures for citizenship acquisition, institutional fragmentation among state agencies, document legalisation requirements, limited awareness of support measures, and insufficient effectiveness of adaptation centres. The study concludes that improving interagency coordination, enhancing information accessibility, and developing a comprehensive institutional integration model are essential for increasing policy effectiveness. The results may inform migration policy reforms and legislative development in Kazakhstan.
Abstract
The paper examines the labour-market adaptation of Kazakh repatriates who migrated from Uzbekistan to the Zhetysu region, focusing on everyday practices. The study employs qualitative methods, including ethnographic fieldwork in 2025–2026 and semi-structured interviews, with materials analysed through qualitative data techniques.
The empirical data reveal the labour experiences of ethnic Kazakhs returning to their historical homeland, their strategies for employment, and the role of social ties. Respondents described their first steps in the labour market, methods of job searching, and participation in both formal and informal sectors. Kinship, acquaintanceship, and community networks proved crucial in securing work, while challenges of adaptation required adjusting professional skills to a new socio-economic environment.
Distinctive features of adaptation emerged. Some repatriates sought jobs aligned with their education and training, while others pursued small-scale entrepreneurship. These strategies became mechanisms of integration, strengthening economic and social ties with local communities. Several models of labour-market integration were observed. Given Uzbekistan’s Soviet past, repatriates generally did not face major linguistic or cultural barriers. Some succeeded in finding employment in their specialization due to regional demand, while others turned to entrepreneurship when unable to secure work in their field. In certain cases, specialists employed in their profession received housing support from local authorities.
Social networks established by earlier migrants played a significant role in facilitating entrepreneurial initiatives. Repatriates often cooperated, founding joint ventures or engaging in economic activities through established connections.
Overall, the findings contribute to migration and integration studies by examining ethnic repatriation in post-Soviet Kazakhstan at the level of everyday life. The analysis demonstrates that integration is shaped not only by state policies but also by professional capital, social networks, and local labour-market demand. In this way, the study complements contemporary scholarship on migration, labour integration, and repatriation in Central Eurasia.
Abstract
This paper examines the process of post-migration adaptation of repatriates in Kazakhstan through the analysis of their linguistic discourses on social media platforms. The study aims to compare the linguistic and social adaptation of repatriates through content analysis of Facebook and Instagram. The research methodology combines discourse analysis, comparative analysis, content analysis, and basic quantitative processing (including markers of adaptation and identity, language choice, interpretation, and frequency analysis).
The empirical data consist of publicly available social media materials, including posts, comments, hashtags, and thematic community content. The analysis focuses on communicative strategies, forms of self-representation, social support discourse, and indicators of integration. Integration is examined at three levels: linguistic (vocabulary of the new social environment and official terminology), social (interaction with local communities, requests for advice, and choice of workplace or educational institutions), and symbolic (visual and verbal representation of Kazakh cultural codes).
The results reveal distinct platform differences. On Facebook, discussions of institutional, legal, and social issues are more frequent, indicating the dominance of informational and structural integration. In contrast, Instagram is characterized by visual narratives, symbolic representations of national identity, cultural codes, and positive self-representation. These findings demonstrate that integration is not only a social process but also a digital-communicative one.
The study contributes to the scholarly literature on digital discourse, migration studies, and linguistic identity by demonstrating that integration cannot be limited to socio-economic indicators alone. Social media discourse reflects the complex linguistic and cultural dimensions of migrant adaptation and identity formation in the digital environment.
The paper also highlights new methodological opportunities for analyzing the adaptation processes of repatriates in the context of digital society and reveals the influence of platform-specific media environments on models of integration.