Two Homelands

Migration and Its Socioeconomic Impact Across Central Asia: Introduction to the Thematic Section

Zhanna Bolat — 2026-03-06

This thematic section underscores the need for holistic migration governance that recognizes the multidimensional realities of mobility in Central Asia. The countries of Central Asia can better capture the opportunities offered by migration while reducing its risks by strengthening the legal framework, promoting sustainable development, improving education and social support systems, and fostering regional cooperation. The studies included offer valuable pathways for future research and policy development, contributing to ongoing scholarly and practical efforts to understand and manage migration in a rapidly changing world.

Transit Migration in Armed Conflicts: New Trends and Challenges for International Policy

Lyudmila Korigova — 2026-03-06

This study analyzes the transformation of migration routes and volumes through transit states and the resulting challenges for international policy amid armed conflicts. A comparative analysis of cases in the Mediterranean, Middle East, Latin America, and Europe reveals rising pressure on transit infrastructures, tighter border controls, and more displaced persons. Conflicts in Syria, Libya, and Central America redirect migration movements and fuel irregular migration, while Russia’s war against Ukraine created Europe’s largest crisis since World War II. Findings show that migration has become both a humanitarian and political issue, requiring comprehensive, internationally coordinated policies and adaptive transit mechanisms.

Human Capital Mobility and Migration’s Impact on Economic and Technological Progress

Dilbara Amanturova — 2026-03-06

This study analyzes how migration and other factors affect employment and unemployment in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan using statistical methods and finds that economic and educational opportunities attract migrants, thereby increasing labor market competition. In Kazakhstan, unemployment is influenced by new arrivals and higher education graduates (positive) and by GDP per capita (negative); employment is influenced by R&D spending and GDP (positive), as well as by new arrivals (negative). In Kyrgyzstan, higher education graduates reduce unemployment, while arrivals and graduates of secondary vocational institutions boost employment. Migration negatively affects employment in Kazakhstan and positively affects it in Kyrgyzstan, informing future migration policy decisions.

The Impact of Migration on Infrastructure Development in Central Asia

Aida Sarseitova — 2026-03-06

Using a mixed-methods approach, the study examines the impact of labor migration on infrastructure development in Central Asia, revealing that remittances from labor migration have played a significant role in Central Asia’s socioeconomic development. Migrant workers’ money transfers account for a substantial share of the gross domestic product. However, the distribution of these transfers has been uneven, with the majority allocated to housing construction. The study also highlights that regions with higher levels of out-migration have experienced better housing and urban development, while rural areas continue to face neglect in infrastructure development.

Current Migration Trends and Socioeconomic Challenges in Central Asia: A Focus on 2021–2024

Ainura Askarova — 2026-03-06

This study aims to examine migration dynamics and the socioeconomic factors influencing migration in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. In Kyrgyzstan, internal migration from rural areas to cities is prevalent, while in Kazakhstan, the ongoing war has led to an increase in Russian migrants. Uzbekistan, on the other hand, has experienced a decline in external labor migration in recent years. The research analyzes migration policies, including Kyrgyzstan’s 2021–2030 migration policy concept, Kazakhstan’s 2023–2027 migration policy concept, and Uzbekistan’s 2030 strategy. The study recommends improving socioeconomic conditions, enhancing infrastructure, and reducing bureaucratic barriers to address migration challenges and human trafficking risks.

The Influence of Migration Processes on the Social Adaptation of Young People in Central Asia

Yunran Zhi — 2026-03-06

The study outlines the theoretical and methodological foundations for modeling young people’s social adaptation in cross-border migration between Central Asia and China. The methodology comprised six interrelated stages. The results present a holistic adaptation model with four components: motivational-value, behavioral, communicative, and educational-professional. The findings support a multilevel approach in which stage-based testing helps predict migrants’ needs and guide targeted support. The model can inform adaptation modules in secondary and higher education and support interstate coordination in diploma recognition, scholarship programs, and digital and multidisciplinary support platforms, thus enhancing social integration and reducing isolation.

The Impact of Political Conflicts on Migration Processes

Meiramgul Altybassarova — 2026-03-06

This study examines how political conflict drives internal displacement and international migration, drawing on cases across the Middle East, Africa, South America, and Asia, with particular attention to Kazakhstan, to identify patterns shaping forced migration. Findings show that political conflicts are a significant driver of migration, especially to neighboring countries. Key triggers include the destruction of infrastructure, deteriorating economic conditions, and increased social instability. The study emphasizes the importance of international coordination, including the allocation of resources between countries and the development of strategies to improve migration management.

The Kazakh Diaspora During the Period of Social and Political Experiments in Mongolia (1920s–1950s) and Their Impact on Regional Relations Between Mongolia and Kazakhstan

Salima Omash — 2026-03-06

This study explores the migration and adaptation of the Kazakh diaspora in Mongolia during the twentieth century, focusing on the sociopolitical impacts of Soviet policies, collectivization, and repression. The research uses demographic data from historical censuses, archival documents, and recent surveys for 1926–1959. The findings reveal a significant migration of Kazakhs to Mongolia, driven by factors such as famine, political repression, and the search for stability. Despite these challenges, the Kazakh diaspora in Mongolia preserved its cultural identity through active integration into Mongolian society, while maintaining connections with Kazakhstan. The study concludes that the Kazakh diaspora remains a key factor in fostering positive bilateral relations between Kazakhstan and Mongolia, with implications for cultural, educational, and political cooperation.

Environmental Threats as a Factor of Population Migration in Regions With Low Resilience

Aigul Zharken — 2026-03-06

This study examined the impact of environmental transformations on migration behavior under conditions of environmental degradation, water scarcity, and soil exhaustion. A comparative analysis was conducted in vulnerable regions of Uzbekistan, Iran, China, and Kazakhstan using spatio-temporal demographic and environmental data. Findings revealed demographic shifts such as increased migration, youth out-migration, and declining fertility, alongside high mortality and morbidity in Kazakhstan. Legal frameworks evolved from declarative to adaptive policies. Results confirm the interrelation of environment, society, and migration, underscoring the need for integrated regional policies to address environmentally induced migration.

Beyond Prejudice: Dehumanization as an Ideological Epistemology of Inequality

Irena Šumi — 2026-03-06

This article reconceptualizes dehumanization as an ideological epistemology of inequality, a modular grammar through which social hierarchies appear moral, natural, and inevitable. It argues that structural inequality produces the dehumanizing ideologies required for its own legitimation: these belief systems transform domination into moral order. By tracing how such ideologies become institutionalized, the article shifts the analysis from individual prejudice to the structural organization of belief. It concludes that overcoming inequality requires dismantling the epistemological frameworks that make dehumanization intelligible and justifiable.

The Alcoholic Breath of the Homeland: Slivovitz and the Reproduction of National Identities in the Journal Rodna gruda

Jernej Mlekuž — 2026-03-06

This article examines the role of slivovitz (slivovka) in reproducing national identities among Slovenian migrants during socialist Yugoslavia. The study builds on the concepts of banal and everyday nationalism, which locate nationalism in routines and unreflected practices of “ordinary people.” The source base is a corpus of texts from the migrant journal Rodna gruda (1954–1986), in which the word slivovka appears. The analysis shows that national identities were reproduced not only in institutional settings but also in material practices – on spill-stained tables, in glasses, and in toasts – embedding individual acts in broader collective processes of nationalism.

Intergenerational Differences in the Integration of Minorities into the Majority Society: The Case of Croats in Slovenia

Ivana Bendra — 2026-03-06

Starting from the conceptual basis, grounded in the theory of segmented assimilation, that there is the possibility of the existence of several ways in which different generations of minority communities can be integrated into the society of the country of immigration, this paper aims to determine whether there are intergenerational differences in the integration of Croats in Slovenia. Through participants’ self-reflection on their own perceptions of their integration across the structural, cultural, interactional, and identification dimensions, the results of a 2022 survey (N=300) confirmed the existence of intergenerational differences.

The Slovenian Ethnos in the Context of the Construction and Functioning of the Pula Arsenal

Karmen Medica — 2026-03-06

This article examines how labor migration into Pula, particularly by Slovenian workers, shaped the city’s multiethnic composition and fostered its social and economic development. The construction of the Naval Arsenal in the mid-nineteenth century marked a pivotal moment in Pula’s urban, demographic, and ethnic transformation. The article also situates these historical processes in relation to contemporary migration patterns, the lasting presence of Slovenians in Pula, and the ongoing issues of integration, cultural identity, and spatial symbolism.