Large-scale public awareness campaign to regularize the residence of undocumented migrants in the country

In order to prevent irregular migration to and within the country measures are mainly aimed at regularizing the residence of irregularly present migrants across the country and promoting legal migration. Thanks to these measures, the number of irregular migrants in the country has decreased more than ten percent within six months of 2021. Awareness raising events and meetings are regularly organized by the State Migration Service in different regions of the country in order to promote regularization of undocumented migrants who are residing in the country for a long period of time without proper documentation.

Considering the benefits of regularization for migrants, for receiving communities and for the governments, Azerbaijan is committed to enhance its efforts in this direction through a public call to the foreigners and stateless persons irregularly staying in the country for a long period of time to apply for regularizing their residence in the country, as well as to organize meetings with undocumented persons to ensure their access to have proof of legal identity and proper documentation.

LAST UPDATED: 4/JUL/23

In order to prevent irregular migration to and within the country measures are mainly aimed at regularizing the residence of irregularly present migrants across the country and promoting legal migration. On January 7, 2022, given the benefits of legalizing migrants, inorder to intensify work in this direction by publicly addressing foreigners and stateless persons irregularly staying in the country for a long period of time, as well as ensuring their access to legal identity and proper documentation, the State Migration Service announced a large-scale information campaign.

Relevant announcement was placed in the web-site and social media accounts of the State Migration Service. In this regard, foreigners living in thecountry without documents entitling to stay or reside for a long period of time are invited toapply to the Service in order to legalize their residence. It was mentioned that legalization is necessary in terms of vaccination and access to medical services, to carry out legal acts inthe country, as well as avoiding of stricter administrative sanctions in the future. In order tolegalize their residence in the country, foreigners or their representatives were invited toapproach to regional migration departments across the country.

Furthermore, awareness raising events and meetings are regularly organized, informative brochures are distributed and informative videos are shown by the State Migration Service indifferent regions of the country. During 2022, and the first 4 months of 2023, more than 20 relevant information materials were posted on social media accounts of the Service. 

Thanks to these measures, the number of cases related with legalization of residence ofirregular migrants in the country has increased compared to 2019 and 2021. Thus, there were 2,717 cases of legalization in 2019, and 3,134 in 2021. 2020 is not taken into account since legalization was automatic due to COVID-19 restrictions. But after the announcement of a large-scale information campaign by the State Migration Service in the beginning of2022, 5068 cases of legalization of irregular residence in the country were registered by theend of 2022.