Kazakhstan Welcomes Over 2,000 Ethnic Kazakhs as Kandas in 2025
In the first months of 2025, 2,185 ethnic Kazakhs have returned to their historical homeland and received kandas status, according to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Kazakhstan. Since 1991, more than 1.15 million ethnic Kazakhs have relocated to Kazakhstan under the kandas program.
China remains the largest country of origin for these returnees, accounting for 46.4% of new kandas, followed by Uzbekistan (41%), Turkmenistan (7.1%), Russia (1.9%), Mongolia (1.6%), and other countries (2%).
As of March 1, 2025, 60.8% of the new arrivals are of working age, while 30.8% are minors and 8.4% are pensioners. Regarding education, 16.8% hold higher education degrees, 30.7% have specialized secondary education, 50.8% completed general secondary education, and 1.7% have no formal education.
Settlement and State Support
Ethnic Kazakhs have settled across various regions of Kazakhstan, with special quotas allocated for labor-deficient regions, including Akmola, Abay, Kostanay, Pavlodar, Atyrau, West Kazakhstan, East Kazakhstan, and North Kazakhstan. The 2025 settlement quota for kandas in these regions stands at 2,309 people, with 389 already relocated as of March 1.
To encourage settlement in these regions, the government provides financial assistance, including a one-time relocation subsidy of 70 MRP (275,200 KZT) per person and monthly housing and utility subsidies ranging from 15 to 30 MRP (59,000–118,000 KZT) for one year.
Since the beginning of the year, 84 kandas have received various forms of state support, with 56 securing permanent employment.
New Incentives for Northern Relocations
To enhance voluntary migration to northern regions, Kazakhstan has introduced institutional measures to support employers involved in relocation efforts. A new Economic Mobility Certificate has been launched, offering non-refundable assistance covering up to 50% of housing costs or up to 4.56 million KZT per family for home purchase, construction, or mortgage down payments.
