Idimo and Nabizhan, sister and brother, are ethnic Kyrgyz living in Tajikistan. Now in their forties, they were teenagers when their parents first spoke about moving to the Kyrgyz Republic. Generations ago, their ancestors relocated to Jergetal in Tajikistan, hundreds of kilometers south of their ancestral village in the Uzgen district of the Kyrgyz Republic.

“My parents wanted to return to their ancestral homeland to live among compatriots, speak their native language, and be protected. We all wanted to go home”,   shares Idimo Shamshidinova.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Idimo and Nabizhan frequently visited Kyrgyzstan. They met local Kyrgyz, got married, and started families. Despite their new lives, they returned to Jergetal to care for their parents.

In 2013, they decided to move permanently to Kyrgyzstan with their parents. However, without the necessary legal status, they lacked access to state and social services, including education and healthcare. They sought “Kairylman” status, a temporary legal status for ethnic Kyrgyz without citizenship or with foreign citizenship who wish to return to their historical homeland. Holders of this status gain access to benefits such as free education, subsidized healthcare, state assistance in finding housing and employment, and the opportunity to receive land for small-scale farming.

To obtain Kairylman status, one needs a valid passport, a birth certificate indicating Kyrgyz nationality, and, in some cases, a residence certificate. Unfortunately, Idimo and Nabizhan only had a copy of Idimo’s birth certificate issued in Tajikistan. Life without the necessary documents was extremely difficult.

After her divorce, Idimo moved with her son to live with Nabizhan and his family for support. She earned a living working as a caregiver for the elderly in exchange for food. Nabizhan found occasional work on a farm to support his family, sister, and nephew.

“Life was very hard; it was difficult to find decent, official work”,
says Nabizhan Shamshidinov.

Idimo began experiencing health problems and needed medical attention. When the hospital told her she couldn’t receive necessary treatment without official documents, she sought advice from the local administration.

“I didn’t know whom to turn to for help, what documents to collect, and where. I only had one document in hand, so I wasn’t even accepted at government institutions”,
says Idimo.

An employee at the passport office in the Kara-Suu district of the Osh region advised her to contact “Fergana Valley Lawyers Without Borders.” Idimo saw a glimmer of hope.

Her case was assigned to FVLWB lawyer Nurlan Ystanov, who helped gather the necessary documents to apply for Kairylman status for Idimo and Nabizhan. He represented their interests in the relevant government bodies.

“Obtaining Kairylman status is usually straightforward, but repatriates often don’t know how the system works or their rights. Idimo had an additional problem related to the need to restore lost documents, which is very difficult and time-consuming, especially for people living in poverty”,   notes Nurlan Ystanov.

To obtain Kairylman status, one needs a valid passport, a birth certificate indicating Kyrgyz nationality, and, in some cases, a residence certificate. Unfortunately, Idimo and Nabizhan only had a copy of Idimo’s birth certificate issued in Tajikistan. Life without the necessary documents was extremely difficult.

“With the Kairylman ID, I was able to go to the hospital and have my 11-year-old son seen by an ophthalmologist for free”,   shares Idimo.

Now, the family, along with their lawyer, eagerly awaits the Kyrgyz government’s adoption of legislative amendments that will simplify the process of applying for official citizenship for Kairylman status holders.

This will be the final step on the long journey home for Idimo and Nabizhan. Idimo has already chosen a Kyrgyz name she will take if her citizenship request is approved—Aygul. Translated from Kyrgyz, Aygul means “moon flower,” a plant that grows only on the rocky slopes of Mount Aygul-Tash in Kyrgyzstan. Like Idimo, this plant symbolizes an isolated and unique geographical position.

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