Kazakhstan and France agree to return illegal migrants to their home countries

Tengrinews.kz — Kazakhstan and France have signed an agreement on the transfer and acceptance of illegal migrants to their countries of origin. On January 22, the document was ratified by the Senate of Kazakhstan.

Details

The agreement is aimed at combating illegal migration.

It sets out:

• the procedure for returning individuals who entered, stayed, or resided illegally in Kazakhstan or France;
• the rules for the transit of third-country nationals and stateless persons.

However, a transfer may be refused if a person faces a real risk in their home country, including torture, inhuman treatment, the death penalty, or persecution based on race, religion, nationality, or political beliefs.

Travel documents

The receiving country must issue a travel document valid for at least six months, even if the individual does not consent. If the return cannot be completed within that period, the document may be extended for six months to one year.

“The validity period of the document is six months — this is standard international practice. This timeframe is primarily intended to allow the person to return to their country and obtain identity documents. It does not affect or delay urgent readmission procedures. In urgent cases, the process will be completed within two days,” said Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Sanzhar Adilov.

Sanctions

Sanctions imposed on returned individuals depend on the reason for their return.

For example, if a Kazakh citizen deliberately violated the law in France, they may be banned from entering the Schengen Area. If the reason for return was objective — such as illness, loss of documents, or accidental circumstances — no travel restrictions to France will apply.

Existing agreements

Kazakhstan has already signed readmission agreements with 20 countries, including Uzbekistan, Russia, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

Earlier, in autumn 2025, Kazakhstan and Morocco agreed on the transfer of convicted persons. Similar agreements were also signed with Brazil and Vietnam, with plans to conclude such documents with Argentina and the Dominican Republic.