Uzbekistan’s Migration Agency has debunked social media claims suggesting that Uzbek citizens can no longer be deported from Turkiye, warning that such interpretations are inaccurate and misleading.
The agency clarified that recent negotiations with Turkish authorities did not concern the abolition of deportations. Instead, the talks focused on specific legal mechanisms for regularising migration status, in an official statement. Individuals residing or working in Turkiye illegally, or violating local laws, remain subject to legal accountability, including deportation.
The agency said some online platforms had incorrectly interpreted the outcomes of the talks, potentially misleading migrants. Citizens were urged to rely only on official sources and avoid unverified information circulating on social media.
Clarifying the situation for undocumented workers, the agency noted that certain Uzbek nationals currently staying or working illegally in Turkiye may apply for status regularisation without immediate deportation, provided they formally approach Turkiye’s migration authorities or the Uzbek Migration Agency’s representative office and meet established legal requirements.
However, officials stressed that this does not mean undocumented migrants can freely leave Turkiye without consequences. Legal protection and personal safety, the agency said, are guaranteed only when migrants hold lawful status and comply with host-country regulations.
According to the Migration Agency’s press service, the same round of talks also addressed employment cooperation. A Turkish construction company has expressed plans to recruit more than 2,000 Uzbek workers, following discussions between Migration Agency Director Behzod Musaev and Turkiye’s Minister of Labour and Social Protection Vedat Isıkhan. The sides reached several agreements aimed at expanding organised and legal labour migration channels.
