Kazakhstan plans to issue visas for foreigners online

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan says it is high time to change the existing migration rules by adding cutting-edge technologies to the process, Kazinform reports. 

The ministry suggested creating an integrated online system of migration control in order to digitalize migration flows.

On Tuesday Mukhtar Tleuberdi, First Deputy Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, noted that the system will register foreign citizens automatically and issue e-visas. Tleuberdi said at the session of the Government that all the proposals were featured into the Migration Policy Concept for 2017-2021.

In his turn, Minister of Internal Affairs Kalmukhanbet Kassymov, stressed that despite simplification of the migration procedures and reduction of administrative burden, transnational crime threats remain. Those, according to him, include drugs and arms smuggling, illicit migration, human trafficking as well as terrorism and extremism-related crimes.

"Hence, it is needless to say that the concept allows for further improvement and stepping up of border control, exercised by the police. According to the draft concept, the police will have additional functions. For instance, it will fight illegal migration. The legal framework and the system of migration control are to be developed in line with the draft concept as well," Kassymov added.