South African businessman sentenced to 5 days in prison for breaching immigration rules in Kazakhstan

A citizen of South Africa has been arrested in Atyrau in western Kazakhstan. He has violated the rules of stay in Kazakhstan by failing to register with the immigration authorities, Tengrinews reports citing the press service of the Atyrau Regional Court.

The South African businessman was sentenced to 5 days in prison in Kazakhstan.

Foreigners entering Kazakhstan are required by the Kazakhstani legislation to register in a migration police department during five days after their arrival. 

Only those arriving in Kazakhstan through the country's 12 international airports, or Dostyk (Druzhba) railway border crossing at the Chinese border, or land crossings at Khorgos, Dostyk, Bakhty, Maikapchagai, Kordai and Kolzhat, or via the seaports of Aktau and Bautino are registered automatically when crossing the border.

Otherwise, those entering through smaller border crossing points and those who for some reason did not receive a registration card immediately upon arriving in Kazakhstan, are supposed to register with the Migration Police in the city where they are staying within 5 days, because if they don't, they may have to pay a fine when departing and may even be arrested for up to 5 days. 

According to the press service of the Atyrau Regional Court, the South African national was arrested at the Atyrau airport when he was going through the passport control to board a flight from Atyrau to Amsterdam.

During the court hearing, the man confessed that he arrived in Kazakhstan on August 18 on a business trip through the border control in Atyrau, but he did not register with the migration authorities in a timely manner.

"Given that the offender confessed and that he admitted his guilt, the court sentenced the citizen of South Africa to an administrative penalty in the form of administrative arrest for 5 days," the press office informed.

By Assel Satubaldina, editing by Tatyana Kuzmina