Over the past three years, nearly 10,000 people have received citizenship of Uzbekistan, the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said at a meeting dedicated to the 27th anniversary of adoption of the Constitution.

“Over the past three years, 9,692 people received citizenship of the Republic of Uzbekistan, including 5,868 persons this year,” the president said. At the same time, he added, much work remains to be done in this direction.

From 2007 to December 2016, the country’s authorities did not issue passports to foreigners or stateless persons at all. From the moment of gaining independence in 1991 until 2007, only 482 people were able to get Uzbek passports. 

Currently, 95,857 stateless persons live in Uzbekistan, which is 78.5% of the total number of stateless persons throughout Central Asia.

Earlier, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that 49,228 people, who were registered in Uzbekistan before January 1, 1995, but still have not received the status of a citizen of the republic, are expected to receive the country’s citizenship.