The DOOMMM!!! Club keeps a close eye on Kazakhstan as the Crimea aftershocks keep rattling Russias periphery. The DOOMMM!!! Clubs game in Kazakhstan aims at triggering a Well have them for lunch before they have us for dinner chain of reactions and counterreactions. For now, Astana is trying to protect itself by diluting the Russian speaking demographics in a region which is Kazakhstans version of Ukraines Donbass. Directing thousands of ethnic Kazakhs into areas with significant Russian speaking population is an act that may warrant a dedicated bucket of popcorn *** The oralman program, in its original form, provided generous social and economic benefits to entice Kazakhs abroad to migrate to their titular homeland. Now, under new terms announced in April, perks to attract ethnic Kazakhs abroad are back on the table in the form of paid travel and subsidized housing: but to be eligible for the benefits, migrants are required to settle in government-selected areas. Of the seven target regions, six are in northern Kazakhstan, situated along its long border with Russia, and which have sizeable ethnic Russian populations: Akmola; East Kazakhstan; Kostanay; North Kazakhstan: Pavlodar; and West Kazakhstan. The seventh target area is the oil-and-gas hub of Atyrau on the Caspian Sea. Astana says the migration measures (which also include a fast-track one-year citizenship process) have nothing to do with the country’s demographics and everything to do with economics: Kazakhstan’s northern agricultural and industrial heartlands face looming labor shortages owing to their shrinking, ageing populations. Editors note: Joanna Lillis is a freelance writer who specializes in Central Asia. ***
Posted on: Sat, 02 Aug 2014 19:35:41 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015