As of November 1, since the commencement of 2023, nearly 18,000 ethnic Kazakhs have been granted “Kandas” status in Kazakhstan, marking their return to the historical homeland, TuraNews.kz reports.
Since 1991, a total of 1,124,900 ethnic Kazakhs have returned to the country. Of the Kandas who arrived in Kazakhstan this year, more than half (53.8%) hail from Uzbekistan, 19% from China, 11% from Mongolia, 7.6% from Russia, 6.5% from Turkmenistan, and 2.1% from other countries.
As of November 1, 2023, the distribution of ethnic migrants indicates that 60.7% are of working age, 30.7% are minors, and 8.6% are pensioners. Among working-age Kandas, 15.3% have higher education, 34.5% have secondary specialized education, 41.7% have general secondary education, and 8.5% have no formal education.
Ethnic Kazakhs returning to Kazakhstan have settled in various regions of the country. Notably, regions facing labor shortages have been identified for Kandas resettlement, including Akmola, Abay, Kostanay, Pavlodar, East, and North Kazakhstan.
The quota for accepting candidates in resettlement regions for 2023 is set at 2,337 people, and by November 1, 2023, 1,870 Kandas had been resettled.
To support Kandas settling in these regions, the government provides state support measures, including a relocation subsidy of 70 MCI (241,500 tenge) for the head and each family member, as well as monthly assistance for housing rent and utility payments ranging from 15 to 30 MCI (51,700 to 103,500 tenge) for one year.
Since the beginning of the year, 1,254 candidates have received various support measures, including permanent employment for 522 individuals, one-time subsidies for 1,254 people, and subsidized housing costs for 513 people.
To enhance voluntary resettlement, institutional measures have been implemented to support employers involved in relocating citizens to the northern regions. An economic mobility certificate has been introduced, offering financial support of 50% of the housing cost or up to 4 million tenge per family for purchasing, constructing housing, or covering part of the down payment on mortgage housing loans.
In 2023, a pilot mechanism for assigning “Kandas” status has been implemented through the “one window” principle via Kazakhstan’s embassies. This allows for the resolution of issues related to visiting the country, employment opportunities, housing provision, and obtaining “Kandas” status without physically entering the republic. To date, 2,058 applications (690 families) from ethnic Kazakhs have been accepted through foreign institutions in this new format.
