Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) - On 23 February, a scientific and practical conference on the topic: "The experience of the Central Asian countries and the EU in the field of rehabilitation and reintegration of repatriates" was held.

The online dialogue was organized by the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISMI) in cooperation with the representative office of the German Foundation. Konrad Adenauer in Central Asia.

The forum brought together about 50 experts and specialists from leading "think tanks" from 10 countries, including Central and South Asia, the EU, Singapore and Malaysia, as well as international organizations - EU, OSCE, UNICEF and UN missions in Uzbekistan.

The meeting made it possible to openly exchange information, opinions and experience on the issues of rehabilitation and social reintegration of repatriates from the zones of military conflicts.

Opening the conference, Akramjon Nematov, First Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, noted that comprehensive measures are being taken in Uzbekistan to deradicalize people who have returned from zones of armed conflict. At the same time, assuming the main responsibility, the state has developed and is implementing a holistic program of rehabilitation and reintegration, closely cooperating in these matters with civil society. Considerable experience has been gained in overcoming legal and psychological difficulties in the adaptation of returnees, as well as in resolving a number of legal issues related to legitimizing their status.

At the same time, the main emphasis was placed on eliminating the causes and conditions that contributed to the joining of citizens to terrorist groups. A lot of work is underway to solve the social and domestic problems of repatriates, their employment, training in demanded professions, and ensuring unhindered access to high-quality healthcare and education services. A large-scale educational religious and ideological work has been organized.

This approach, he stressed, today finds recognition throughout the world. This is confirmed by the holding in September 2020, within the framework of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, a side event to review the experience of the Central Asian countries in this area. At the same time, high representatives of the UN recommended that other countries use it as a model.

Emphasizing the importance of the event, the authorized representative of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation on Central Asia Ronnie Heine, noted that the exchange of information, expertise and experience is important for the international community. This practice contributes to finding the best ways to address the issue of deradicalization. At the same time, the goal should not be to punish these persons, but to return them to the ranks of full-fledged citizens capable of contributing to the development of society.

Bakhtiyar Babadjanov, Chief Researcher of the ISMI, moderating the meeting and discussion of scientists, noted that in the Central Asian countries in the last two years, a lot of such conferences were held to discuss problems related to the socialization of repatriates returned from different "hot spots" However, he stressed, there are a number of issues that remain to be studied and formulated constructive recommendations on them. For the legal system of states, their social services are faced with a new phenomenon for themselves - the need not only physically, but also really to return to society their lost citizens.

According to B. Babadjanov, another question is rarely discussed - how to work with children, more precisely with adolescents, who have already completed their primary education in the "schools" of such banned organizations as ISIS? They managed to instill completely aggressive versions of Islamic ideology, instead of playing games, they were taught to assemble and disassemble machine guns, and some of them even shoot. Who will these skills work for in the future? At the same time, these children have already seen the horrors of the war, which they were also told about as “sacred”. It is also known that some women took part in the fighting. Are there such among those returned?

Another problem, the expert noted, which is almost not discussed - how to accept "self-returnees", i.e. those who returned on their own? Can the same amnesty or benefits be extended to them as to the repatriated? What legal conflicts arise here? Indeed, according to some data, their number is approaching the total number of repatriated under state programs.

No less important, the ISMI representative believes, is the question of reformatting the aggressive beliefs that were inspired by the radical propaganda before this illegal immigration and especially after it? De-radicalization of consciousness is the most difficult part of working with repatriates. At the same time, it is clear that it is difficult to solve this problem only by counter-propaganda measures. This is a long process in which not only theologians should be involved. Representatives of civil society (mahalla), scientists, psychologists and other specialists can play a role here.

Sharing the opinion of her colleague, senior researcher at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Anastasia Reshetnyak noted that in Kazakhstan there were also fears of repeated radicalization among those who returned. There are those who have not abandoned their radical views. We are working with them. However, the “self-selection” effect became a natural guarantee that the problem was not so large-scale. That is, the return was built on a voluntary basis, and those who decided to return understood the degree of responsibility, were sufficiently disappointed in the ideology of radical organizations, which means they were ready for deradicalization.

Nevertheless, the Kazakh expert noted, the issue of religious rehabilitation is of great importance. In Kazakhstan, theologians from the Ak Niet public organization, psychologists and other specialists are involved in this process.

In turn, the deputy director of the Center for Islamic Studies under the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Azizi recalled that Tajikistan faced problems of reintegration back in the late 1990s, when refugees were returning home from Afghanistan. They did not have time to seriously "become infected" with radical ideologies, and therefore the adaptation took place more or less without problems. The current situation, according to the Tajik expert, has given rise to new challenges, when religiously motivated radicalism and terrorism have acquired a global scale, and therefore the quality of challenges facing countries has become much more difficult.

At the same time, R. Azizi stressed the importance of an adequate assessment of the process of deradicalization. Some returnees imitate their rejection of radical ideas, which actualizes the development of criteria for deradicalization. This, the expert believes, may become one of the directions for the development of cooperation. He also noted that the laws of Central Asian countries are not yet ready for legal rehabilitation and governments are forced to use more administrative tools. There is a lot of work to be done in this respect, which should be coordinated.

Another expert from Tajikistan, deputy head of the Department for the Study of Regional Security Problems of the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Khidoyatzoda Komroni, noted that Tajikistan has so far been able to return only 84 children from Syria. The operation to return women has been postponed due to Turkey’s military operations in Kurdistan, as well as the pandemic.

At the same time, the expert pointed out, the public opinion of the Tajik population is not always positive regarding the return of citizens. Some citizens believe that the decision to leave was their choice and it is irrational to spend public funds on them. However, the state fulfills its duty to all citizens, regardless of their beliefs, including those who are lost. According to the expert, the country is implementing a program for the rehabilitation of repatriated children, which involves medical, social and other services.

Researcher at the National Institute for Strategic Studies of the Kyrgyz Republic Kubanychbek Toktorbaev emphasized the relevance of the conference. According to him, Bishkek is carefully studying the experience of its neighbors, since repatriation in the country, which was delayed by the pandemic, has only been postponed. Therefore, all the reports are of particular importance for Kyrgyzstan, which is currently continuing to negotiate with the leadership of Syria on this issue.

Of particular interest was the report of the expert on refugees and migration of the Main Analytical and Consulting Department of the Foundation. Konrad Adenauer La Toya Waja. The expert noted the importance of the issue of repatriation not only for the countries of Central Asia, but also for the European Union. According to her, only Germany to participate in the so-called. About 1,500 people left the jihad, of which 350 were women. The overwhelming majority of them were religiously literate and from wealthy families. The picture is roughly the same in France and other EU countries. Therefore, the law enforcement agencies of Germany and the European Union express fears that a significant part of the repatriates remains a serious threat to European countries.

This information sparked a lively discussion among experts and participants, as religious illiteracy and economic problems were usually accepted by default as the main reasons and motivations for the involvement of some Muslims in radical groups. Taking this into account, the participants concluded that the problem is much more complex and related to the ideology propagated by the radicalists.

The experts and specialists who took part in the videoconference were unanimous in the opinion that the experience of Central Asia and the EU would provide valuable lessons and could be useful for other countries.

In conclusion, the participants noted that holding such open discussions will contribute to the development of effective and efficient measures aimed at de-radicalization of returnees.