The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported 572 citizens of Uzbekistan between January and September of this year, a report by the agency indicated.
This figure marks a 6.5-fold increase compared to the same period in 2023, when 88 Uzbekistani nationals were deported. In previous years, the numbers were lower: 55 in 2022, 21 in 2021, 49 in 2020, and 45 in 2019.
In total, the US deported approximately 271,500 foreign nationals during the first nine months of this year, reflecting a 1.9-fold increase over the same period last year. These figures underscore the tightening of the US immigration policies.
The rise in deportations is attributed to several factors, including reduced requirements for passenger list notifications and the ability to schedule charter flights on weekends.
Additionally, “intensive diplomatic efforts” by US agencies enabled an increase in charter flights to various destinations in the Eastern hemisphere. Among these was the first major deportation charter flight to China since 2018, as well as flights to Albania, Angola, Egypt, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Mauritania, Romania, Senegal, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan leads among post-Soviet and Central Asian countries in deportation figures:
- Russia: 464
- Afghanistan: 132
- Tajikistan: 77
- Kyrgyzstan: 69
- Ukraine: 53
- Armenia: 27
- Kazakhstan: 23
- Azerbaijan: 13
- Turkmenistan: 5
Meanwhile, Mexico (87,298), Guatemala (66,435), Honduras (45,923), El Salvador (15,284), Colombia (14,268) and Ecuador (12,921) remain the top destinations for deported migrants, with tens of thousands sent back to these countries.
In October 2023, the US Customs and Border Protection announced that over 13,600 citizens of Uzbekistan were apprehended while attempting to enter the US through Mexico. In November, the US stated that it would no longer admit citizens of Uzbekistan attempting to enter via Mexico. Instead, they will be detained until their immigration cases are resolved.
Last December, nearly 120 Uzbekistani nationals attempting to enter the US illegally were returned to Uzbekistan, most of them had tried to cross the border through Mexico.
