Foreign Ministry: Uzbekistan provided $746,500 in aid to citizens abroad in 2025

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported on the results of consular and legal assistance provided to Uzbek citizens abroad. Over the year, more than 162,000 citizens received consular services, over 4,000 compatriots were granted $746,500 in financial assistance, 2,000 citizens were released from detention, and 250 people were repatriated.

Фото: EPA

In 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan allocated $746,500 in aid to more than 4,000 Uzbek nationals who found themselves in difficult financial circumstances abroad, the ministry said in its year-end summary.

The ministry noted that throughout 2025 it maintained regular engagement with citizens abroad, worked to involve them in the country’s political, economic, and social processes, and sought to strengthen their sense of connection with the homeland.

“This process helped shape consular assistance not merely as a legal service, but as a bridge of trust between the state and its citizens,” the statement said.

According to the ministry, 162,376 Uzbek citizens received consular services during the year. Assistance was also provided to help 15,215 compatriots find employment abroad.

Financial assistance totaling $746,500 was allocated to 4,085 citizens facing severe financial hardship. In addition, the release of 2,000 Uzbek citizens from temporary detention facilities in foreign countries was secured.

The ministry added that 250 citizens in difficult life situations, including minors, individuals left without caregivers, and victims of human trafficking, were repatriated to Uzbekistan.

More than 5,500 cultural and educational events involving compatriots abroad were organized during the year, attracting nearly 100,000 participants. A total of 154,181 appeals from individuals and legal entities were received and reviewed in accordance with established procedures.

In addition, 188,299 visas were issued to foreign nationals seeking to enter Uzbekistan.

Earlier, 19 children deprived of parental care were returned to Uzbekistan from cities including Yekaterinburg, Volgograd, Ufa, the Moscow region, and Novosibirsk in Russia. A further 16 unaccompanied or socially vulnerable minors were also brought back to the country.

In November, 19 Uzbek nationals who had been forced to work at a greenhouse in Kyiv region were repatriated via Moldova. Ukrainian law enforcement authorities had reported their release in September.

As a reminder, during the “Return to the Homeland” charity campaign held from July 30 to August 30, 1,300 citizens were repatriated from 15 countries. Of them, 654 were women and 438 were children. The largest number, 993 people, were returned from Russia.