Translated with AI
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) expressed gratitude to the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev for organizing and paying for the flight that returned over a hundred citizens of Central Asian countries to their homeland on April 30, Fergana.ru reported, citing the DHS press service.
“We thank Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev for his leadership in sending a flight to return 131 illegal immigrants to their home country,” said Secretary of State Kristi Lynn Noem.
The DHS emphasized that Uzbekistan fully funded the deportation of its citizens. This operation demonstrates the close security cooperation between the two countries and sets a standard for U.S. allies, the statement said.
Among the passengers on the deportation flight, in addition to the Uzbeks, were citizens of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. All of them were found to be illegally in the United States and were included in the list of aliens subject to deportation.
The fact that a special charter flight from New York to Tashkent has been scheduled for April 30 was announced on the eve of the departure date by the press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Akhror Burkhanov.
"This repatriation initiative is aimed at ensuring the rights of Uzbek citizens who find themselves in difficult life situations abroad, and is being implemented within the framework of international norms, obligations and human rights. We are talking about citizens who have violated visa requirements or whose legal stay in the United States has expired. The repatriation process is organized on the basis of humane and legal principles that ensure the dignified and safe return of citizens," Burkhanov emphasized.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly announced a tightening of immigration policy. Almost immediately after his inauguration on January 20 of this year, illegal immigrants began to be expelled from the country. According to US officials, as of the end of November 2024, 975 citizens of Uzbekistan, 369 citizens of Kazakhstan, 319 citizens of Kyrgyzstan, 149 citizens of Tajikistan and 40 citizens of Turkmenistan were to be deported.
