Uzbekistan is considering new criminal penalties of up to 15 years in prison for people who organize or facilitate illegal migration for financial gain.
The proposed legislation would establish a separate criminal offence targeting individuals who arrange unlawful border crossings or help migrants travel illegally through Uzbek territory.
The draft amendments are currently open for public consultation until September 8. If approved, those found guilty could face between three and five years in prison or restrictions on their freedom. The most serious offences could attract prison sentences of 10 to 15 years, particularly where substantial financial gains are involved or where migrants’ lives or health are placed at risk.
Existing Uzbek legislation already punishes people who illegally cross the country’s borders or enter and leave the country unlawfully. However, authorities currently do not have a separate criminal provision specifically addressing people who organise or profit from illegal migration.
The proposed changes come as Uzbekistan continues to have a large population of citizens working overseas. Russia remains the country’s largest destination for migrant workers, despite increasingly strict rules and growing concerns about the treatment and security of foreign workers there.
According to the latest Uzbek figures, approximately 1.4 million Uzbek citizens are currently working abroad, with about 834,200 of them in Russia.
Conditions for migrants in Russia have become more challenging as authorities have increased checks and introduced tighter restrictions affecting foreign workers in several industries.
Uzbek authorities have also raised concerns about citizens being recruited to participate in armed conflicts or join foreign military forces.
The issue has already resulted in criminal cases in Uzbekistan. In February 2026, a court sentenced a 38-year-old Uzbek citizen to three years and one month in prison after finding him guilty of participating in the war in Ukraine on Russia’s side.
The man told the court that he had been detained for violating migration regulations and was subsequently offered a military contract under the threat of deportation. He was convicted of mercenary activity and entering military or similar service for a foreign state.
Uzbekistan has repeatedly warned its citizens that joining foreign armed forces can lead to criminal prosecution at home.
At the same time, the government has increasingly intervened in cases involving Uzbek migrant workers and Russian law enforcement. Following a December 2025 raid at a cafe in Khabarovsk, where Central Asian migrants were reportedly injured, Uzbekistan sent a diplomatic note to Russia requesting an investigation.
Migration also remains economically important to Uzbekistan because of the money workers abroad send home.
During the first half of 2026, Uzbekistan received approximately $9.3 billion in international remittances, representing a 13% increase compared with the same period a year earlier.
The government therefore faces a delicate balance: maintaining access to foreign labour markets for Uzbek citizens, protecting migrant workers from exploitation and abuse, and preventing individuals and organisations from profiting from illegal migration.
The proposed legislation represents a tougher approach to those facilitating irregular migration, particularly where their activities involve financial gain or expose migrants to danger.