Uzbekistan’s government repatriated 44 citizens from the United States on a charter flight, marking the 11th such operation since President Donald Trump assumed office. According to the Foreign Ministry and the Dunyo news agency, these flights have returned nearly 700 Uzbek nationals to the country.
The flight, operated by Omni Air International on a Boeing 767-300 aircraft, departed from El Paso, Texas, on January 20. It included stops in the United States, Romania, and Armenia, and arrived in Tashkent on the evening of January 21. Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant agencies received the passengers at the airport.
Dunyo reported that many of the repatriated citizens had been held in U.S. immigration detention centers for extended periods after attempting to enter the country illegally. The operation involved months of coordination between Uzbek and U.S. authorities and reflects Uzbekistan’s ongoing efforts to protect the rights, interests, and safety of its citizens abroad.
Several returnees shared details of their experiences. One individual noted that he traveled to the United States influenced by stories of others and spent $23,000 on the journey, which took nearly a month to reach Mexico from Uzbekistan. He reported spending three months in a U.S. detention center and described the experience as physically and mentally challenging. Another repatriated citizen, who spent a similar period in a detention facility, reported expenditures of $20,000 and described the conditions as harsh, emphasizing that unauthorized migration does not guarantee safety, stability, or legal rights.
Uzbek authorities continue to emphasize that legal migration provides citizens with documented rights and opportunities to settle abroad lawfully, in contrast to irregular migration routes, which carry significant risks.
In October 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that over 13,600 Uzbek citizens were apprehended while attempting to enter the United States through Mexico. In November, the U.S. announced it would no longer admit Uzbek nationals crossing via Mexico, instead detaining them pending immigration proceedings.
By late 2024, the U.S. Embassy advised Uzbek citizens to travel through legal channels, warning that those entering illegally would be promptly removed, and noted close cooperation with the Uzbek government on deportations. During the first nine months of 2024, 572 Uzbek citizens were deported, a 6.5-fold increase compared to the same period in 2023, with 975 listed for deportation at year-end. Following Donald Trump’s administration’s intensified measures against illegal migration, Uzbek authorities confirmed collaboration with the U.S. to ensure safe repatriation of their citizens.
