Espace populations sociétés (Aug 2007)
Les migrations forcées en Asie centrale post-soviétique (1991-2005)
Abstract
The formation of new states, the restructuring of existing states as well as state implosions are key factors of forced exodus. This article, which deals with “forced migration” in the sense of “forced political migration” in Central Asia from Independence in 1991 until the present day, includes externally displaced persons as well as internally displaced persons (IDPs), but excludes economic migration. Three types of political migration are considered. The first two types are examples of mass migration: one is essentially peaceful in nature, the other, violent; the third category concerns far fewer people. The more peaceful type of mass migration involves both Russian and German people trying to return to their respective homelands after Independence because, by staying on in Central Asia, they thought they would lose their rights and become second-class citizens. In fact, this was not the case; they were not in any real danger, and could choose to stay in the country in which they were born or where they had spent most of their lives, but they would have to change their way of living. The other, more violent type of mass migration studied here, comes in the aftermath of civil war, as in Tajikistan. Instead of running the risk of being killed during the fighting, they chose flight either inside or outside their country. The third, much more recent type of migration, which is triggered off by localised political events (Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan), is clearly not an example of mass migration: people simply fled because they were opposed to the government. Some of these people were internally displaced by their government for security reasons (Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan). We will examine various statistics concerning these three different forms of migration and highlight their main phases: crossing the border or not for the IDPs, setting up a new, initially makeshift way of life and, whenever possible, going back home.
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