Foreign national lived at the Almaty airport for three months

Anelya Kupbayeva Correspondent

Screenshot Threads

Tengrinews.kz — A story has gone viral on Threads about a Nigerian citizen who, according to eyewitnesses, spent nearly three months at Almaty Airport and was unable to leave Kazakhstan. Tengrinews looked into the situation and uncovered the details.

Tengrinews.kz — A story has gone viral on Threads about a Nigerian citizen who, according to eyewitnesses, spent nearly three months at Almaty Airport and was unable to leave Kazakhstan. Tengrinews looked into the situation and uncovered the details.

How it started

The story was shared by a Threads user who introduced herself as the founder of a charitable foundation. According to her, the Nigerian citizen was required to leave Kazakhstan following a decision by the migration service but encountered problems during departure.

It was reported that his passport had been confiscated, and departure was only possible with an airline ticket, which the man could not afford.

“Airport staff have been feeding him at their own expense and helping him communicate with the migration service. Unfortunately, he has no funds to buy a ticket himself,” the post said.

Debate in the comments

The request for financial assistance sparked heated debate online. Some users questioned the accuracy of the story and raised legal concerns.

“Don’t send any money. If a foreign citizen were detained at the airport, the police would contact his embassy. That’s their responsibility, not some random group. When our citizens are robbed abroad and can’t fly home, embassies help them and arrange tickets,” one commenter wrote.

Others questioned how a ticket could be purchased without a passport and demanded proof of a deportation order, suggesting the situation could be a scam exploiting humanitarian sympathy.

In response, the author clarified that she had a photo of the passport and all necessary personal data. She added that the man himself did not ask for help — airport employees initiated the assistance.

“After seeing him there every day for three months, people simply felt sorry for him. We are in contact with migration police officers,” she explained.

Some users suggested alternative solutions, including contacting the Nigerian diaspora in Kazakhstan and checking transit-country requirements.

How it ended

According to later updates, a plane ticket was eventually purchased, and the Nigerian citizen was able to leave Kazakhstan.

“The story with the guy from Nigeria ended well after three days. Tonight, Yunus safely flew home after spending three months at Almaty Airport. By evening, he’ll be with his family. What we went through is hard to put into words, but the main thing is that it ended well,” the author wrote.

What the Interior Ministry said

Tengrinews contacted the Interior Ministry, which confirmed that the foreign national had been deported by court order for overstaying in Kazakhstan.

The ministry also confirmed that the airline tickets were purchased with funds raised by volunteers and that the Nigerian citizen has left the country.