Ili, Xinjiang Prevents Kazakhs From Freely Disposing of Property

FILE PHOTO: Global press freedom has fallen to its lowest point in over two decades, with China ranked third from the bottom. (Screenshot from Reporters Without Borders website)

[People News] New measures restricting overseas travel for ethnic minorities have recently emerged in the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang. Multiple Kazakh individuals told Radio Free Asia that local grassroots authorities are requiring residents planning to relocate to Kazakhstan to sign a “property relinquishment pledge,” while imposing strict limits on selling homes and transferring land-use rights. These practices have sparked strong dissatisfaction within local communities.

According to Radio Free Asia, Serikzhan (transliteration), founder of the Kazakh human rights group “Atajurt Volunteers,” told reporters: “Local governments have introduced some ad hoc policies that prevent herders from selling or transferring pastureland and do not allow farmers to transfer contracted agricultural land. Even Kazakhs’ own apartments or rural homes cannot be sold. Some people want to transfer property to relatives, such as younger brothers or sisters, but the government will not process the transfer.”

Serikzhan noted that these “local policies” are mainly implemented across several counties and cities under the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. According to local residents, people preparing to leave for Kazakhstan face numerous obstacles when trying to dispose of real estate. He emphasized that these measures are not supported by formal legal documents and are usually conveyed verbally by grassroots officials during household registration cancellation or exit approval procedures.

Restrictions on Selling Property and Transferring Land

In recent years, many ethnic Kazakhs in Xinjiang have chosen to migrate to Kazakhstan. For these families, selling their homes or transferring land-use rights is a key source of funds for renting housing and starting new lives abroad.

A Kazakh woman named Dina (transliteration), who has already migrated to Kazakhstan, confirmed to Radio Free Asia that restrictions have tightened since late last year. She said: “Since September last year, counties and cities in Ili have stipulated that people leaving China cannot sell their homes. If they cannot sell their homes, they will have no money to rent housing or start small businesses after moving to Kazakhstan. To sell a house, they must apply to village heads and township governments and explain the reasons. Many people, in order to go abroad, simply give up their houses, give up their contracted land—give up everything.”

Dina revealed that some applicants are forced to sign a pledge. She said: “The pledge states that I will never return to China and that I give up all my property in China—my house, my land. If I agree to give up everything, then I can relocate to Kazakhstan.”

In addition to restrictions on property disposal, some residents are also required to provide “political guarantors” when applying for exit documents. A Kazakh resident, Nurberk (transliteration), recalled his relative’s experience applying for a passport. He said: “Before my relative came to Kazakhstan, when he applied for a passport at the public security bureau, they required him to find several people to act as guarantors—three people, all relatives—before they would issue the passport. They said that if he came to Kazakhstan and spoke improperly about China, the relatives remaining in China would be punished. That’s how he managed to leave.”

The Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture is located along the border and is a major area of Kazakh population in China. Unlike other regions of China, some ethnic minorities in Xinjiang have long faced stricter controls over passport applications, cross-border contacts, and exit reviews.

Increasingly Detailed Controls on Ethnic Minorities

Since 2017, authorities have strengthened social monitoring of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, including Uyghurs and Kazakhs. Observers note that because Kazakhs maintain close ethnic and cultural ties with neighboring Kazakhstan and frequently move across borders, authorities have in recent years extended controls into the area of property disposal, indicating a further tightening of social management over this group.

Kazakhstan is the largest country in Central Asia and an important neighbor bordering China’s Xinjiang region. Since gaining independence in 1991, Kazakhstan has implemented a policy known as “Oralman,” encouraging ethnic Kazakhs living abroad to return and settle in their ancestral homeland. Among the approximately 1.5 million Kazakhs living in China, many have chosen to migrate due to familial, cultural, and religious ties.

However, since 2017, when Chinese authorities launched large-scale “counterterrorism” and “de-extremification” campaigns in Xinjiang, this migration path has become increasingly difficult. Human rights groups have stated that, in addition to Uyghurs, Kazakhs are also a major target of these policies. Many Kazakh residents face the risk of “re-education camps” or political scrutiny when applying for passports, visiting relatives abroad, or even making phone calls to family members in Kazakhstan.

In recent years, although China and Kazakhstan have repeatedly emphasized stable diplomatic relations and signed visa-free agreements, local authorities in Xinjiang have not relaxed controls over ethnic minorities. Scholars studying Xinjiang ethnic policy say that while authorities previously focused on restricting movement, they have now extended controls to property and land, indicating that governance over the Kazakh population has expanded into the economic sphere.