According to the consul at the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Washington, an ethnic Uzbek from Kyrgyzstan would have no special claim to citizenship, and would have to follow the same procedures as any foreign national desiring citizenship (11 Sept. 2002). The consul stated that the individual would be required to apply for a five-year permanent residency permit in Uzbekistan, and apply for citizenship at the conclusion of this five-year period (ibid.). The same procedure would apply to his family (ibid.). Upon application for citizenship, the individual would have to renounce any other citizenship he may hold (ibid.).

The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service's Resource Information Center states the following:

Those who are automatically granted the right to Uzbek citizenship include former residents of Uzbekistan who were forcibly removed from Uzbek territory by a prior government, and who may therefore have acquired citizenship elsewhere but prefer to return to Uzbekistan. In addition, anyone who has lived for five years in Uzbekistan and who has renounced, or will renounce, foreign citizenship, is eligible for Uzbek citizenship (Sept. 1994).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Washington. 11 September 2002. Telephone interview with the consul.

United States Immigration and Naturalization Service Resource Information Center. September 1994. "Profile Series: Uzbekistan." http://www1.edu/humanrts/ins/uzbeki95.pdf [Accessed 10 Sept. 2002]