Passports in Turkmen Diplomatic Missions Statement by the Human Rights Platform of the Civil Movement “Dayanch” – Turkmenistan

Passports in Turkmen Diplomatic Missions Statement by the Human Rights Platform of the Civil Movement “Dayanch” – Turkmenistan Distinguished Chair, Esteemed representatives of the OSCE participating States, Dear colleagues, The Human Rights Platform of the Civil Movement “Dayanch” – Turkmenistan would like to draw attention to another serious and systemic problem affecting citizens of Turkmenistan abroad: the inability to obtain or renew passports in Turkmen diplomatic missions. According to Article 29 of the Migration Law of Turkmenistan, citizens residing abroad have the legal right to obtain passports through Turkmenistan’s diplomatic and consular missions. However, in practice, Turkmen diplomatic representations do not issue passports to citizens living abroad, which directly contradicts the country’s own legislation. In the 21st century, when administrative services are increasingly digitalized around the world, it is striking that the issue of simply obtaining an identity document remains unresolved for thousands of Turkmen citizens. As a result, many people are forced to live abroad without valid documents, which places them in an extremely vulnerable legal and social situation. At the same time, many citizens are afraid to return to Turkmenistan to renew their passports. This fear is largely linked to Article 30, paragraph 9 of the Migration Law, which can restrict the ability of citizens to leave the country again if they have previously violated migration rules in another state. Consequently, individuals who return to Turkmenistan to replace their passports risk becoming effectively trapped in the country for many years. The absence of valid identity documents leads to a number of serious consequences. People without documents are deprived of basic rights and legal protections. They become more vulnerable to human trafficking, labor exploitation, and criminal recruitment networks. This situation also creates broader regional risks, as undocumented individuals may become easy targets for exploitation, including involvement in illegal activities or armed conflicts. Furthermore, the inability to obtain passports contributes to increased migration pressures on other countries, as more Turkmen citizens are forced to seek asylum not by choice, but because they cannot regularize their legal status due to the lack of identity documents. Today, thousands of Turkmen citizens are living abroad without valid passports, effectively leaving them without legal protection and basic rights. The Human Rights Platform “Dayanch” respectfully calls on the international community and the OSCE participating States to pay serious attention to this issue and encourage the authorities of Turkmenistan to: ensure the issuance and renewal of passports through diplomatic missions in accordance with Article 29 of the Migration Law; guarantee citizens access to basic identity documents; and prevent situations in which people are forced to live without legal identity and protection. In the modern world, it is unacceptable that thousands of people remain without documents and without access to their fundamental rights. More information and documented cases are available on our website: https://dayanchcivil.com⁠� Thank you for your attention.