Allowing entry for those inoculated against specified illnesses

Allowing entry for those inoculated against specified illnesses

Vaccinated Kazakhstanis Can Freely Cross Land Borders, Says Deputy

In a recent parliamentary session, deputy Albert Rau sounded off about the restricted land border crossings for Kazakhstan's citizens and guests during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As reported by Total.kz, he brought forth concerns about the increasing social tension due to constantly changing and uncoordinated rules between neighboring countries, leading to the growth of a shadow market for border crossing services.

"The current situation allows for a sprawling black market for border crossing services," Rau pointed out.

Law enforcement agencies have discovered numerous instances of fake medical referrals, cargo trucks moonlighting as transport for passengers who pay a fee, and scammers offering to help cross the border with nothing more than a photo, the crossing point, and a payment via WhatsApp. Rau went on to say that citizens are frustrated, as they can fly internationally while other forms of transportation carry restrictions.

A flight from Nur-Sultan to Moscow, for example, costs upwards of 250-300 thousand tenge a month before departure, even at these inflated prices, there is a severe shortage of direct flights. Despite these struggles, Rau found it bewildering that EAEU borders, including those for unencumbered people movement, remain closed for most Kazakhstanis.

Rau expressed his dismay, stating, "With mass vaccination, accredited lab networks, safety behavior standards, and IT solutions for passenger status tracking, it's perplexing why the EAEU borders remain closed for most Kazakhstanis."

Despite his concerns, Rau believes that the mobile app "Traveling without COVID-19" could have done much to alleviate these issues. The app serves as an integrated database of citizens' status and was designed to streamline their movement. According to Rau, the app is currently in use for citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.

"According to our government agencies, Kazakhstan will be linked to this system by the end of July, when the two-month vacation and school holidays are over. So, given our level of digitalization, are we less mobile than our neighboring countries?" Rau asked.

In conclusion, Rau urged his colleagues in the EAEU to restore the previous order of land border crossings for vaccinated citizens and those with a negative PCR test and to expedite Kazakhstan's integration into the 'Travel Without COVID-19' system for personal and business travel within the EAEU.

Insights:- Current Land Borders Status: As per the most recent data, Kazakhstan has lifted land border restrictions with Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, allowing citizens and foreigners alike to cross without restrictions[1].- Digitalization and Integration: The 'Travel Without COVID-19' app integrates the status of citizens from Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. Kazakhstan will be added to the system by the end of July[1].- Border Closures: Previous border closures were due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but they have now ended. Should there be any current or localized border closures affecting specific groups or non-pandemic reasons (such as political crises or security concerns), they are not reflected in the latest reports[1].

1. The Deputy, Albert Rau, expressed his bewilderment about EAEU borders remaining closed for most Kazakhstanis, even with mass vaccination, accredited lab networks, safety behavior standards, and IT solutions for passenger status tracking.
2. Law enforcement agencies have discovered numerous illicit activities at the border, including fake medical referrals, cargo trucks moonlighting as passenger carriers, and scammers offering non-verifiable border crossing services.
3. Rau believes that the mobile app "Traveling without COVID-19," which serves as an integrated database of citizens' status, could have alleviated these issues and has already been integrated for citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.
4. Citizens are frustrated due to the ability to fly internationally, yet other forms of transportation still carry restrictions, leading to a black market for border crossing services.
5. Referring to the ongoing pandemic, plenary discussions in a parliamentary session highlighted the general-news subject of the need for policy-and-legislation changes to make health-and-wellness related science and policies more understandable and less politically divisive when it comes to determining border policies.

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