From now on, it might be possible to maintain a "List of foreign nationals and stateless persons deemed undesirable in Uzbekistan" . A law project on introducing amendments to the law "On the legal status of foreign nationals and stateless persons in the Republic of Uzbekistan" taking this into account will be reviewed and approved by senators at the fifty-seventh plenary session of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis today, September 20.
According to the law, foreign nationals and stateless persons who have committed public statements and actions that are against the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of Uzbekistan, incite intersocietal, racial, religious, and national enmity, or defame the honor, dignity, and history of the Uzbek people will be included in the appropriate list.
The procedure for maintaining the list will be determined by the Cabinet of Ministers and managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The inclusion of such persons in the list will be carried out based on the recommendations of the councils of the chambers of the Oliy Majlis and specialized authorized bodies.
Foreign nationals or stateless persons deemed undesirable in the territory of Uzbekistan are banned from entering Uzbekistan, opening bank accounts, purchasing real estate, participating in the privatization of state property, and engaging in financial and contractual relations for 5 years (They may sell or gift their own property within Uzbekistan).
Moreover, a person deemed undesirable in the country must voluntarily leave Uzbekistan within 10 days from the date of receiving a corresponding notification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If they do not voluntarily leave within this period, the person will be deported, i.e., forcibly expelled, by the internal affairs bodies and other authorized organizations.
The duration of a violator's inclusion in the list is considered to be 5 years, but they may be removed from the list earlier if the reasons for their inclusion are resolved within this period.
The law project is aimed at strengthening the state sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of Uzbekistan, protecting inter-state, inter-ethnic, inter-religious harmony and solidarity, and ensuring respect for the honor, dignity, and history of the Uzbek people.
"In developing this law, the experiences of many foreign countries were studied. Specifically, we can see that legislation and practices restricting the entry of foreign nationals questioning the sovereignty and independence of various foreign states, including Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Poland, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and the Peoples' Republic of China, are widely applied," says Senator Anvar Toychiev.
The document approved by the senators will come into force after being signed by the President.
