We cannot still fully abandon the residence permit system (commonly known as propiska system) in Uzbekistan, the deputy chief of the Department for Migration and Registration of Citizenship within the Interior Ministry Ulugbek Tashkhodjaev said at a briefing at the Development Strategy Center on Jan. 12.
"This requires a lot of preparatory work, residence permit system could be the thing of the past, only once the balanced social and economic development of the territories is achieved."
He elaborated on the changes planned to the existing propiska system which are included (clauses 28 and 53) in the draft 2018 State Program for the Year of Proactive Entrepreneurship, Innovative Ideas and Technologies.
Tashkhodjaev announced that residence registration is to be somewhat eased, with no (permanent or temporary) propiska to be demanded for employment in Tashkent city, also for those arriving for studies and for other “constitutional rights of citizens”. In addition, it is planned to simplify the temporary registration procedure for those engaged in seasonal works and to drop the requirement for a rent or free use of housing contract, which has led to "red tape, loss of time and money."
The propiska system is the legacy of the Soviet era, and remains in place in Uzbekistan, with many of its provisions said to be unconstitutional and considered by human rights organizations to be in direct violation of the Uzbek constitution, which guarantees freedom of movement.
Ulugbek Tashkhodjaev also confirmed that the current biometric passport in Uzbekistan may be recognized as an international passport, and be replaced with ID cards for internal identity purposes.
