Kazakhstan 2020 Crime & Safety Report: Nur-Sultan (Formerly Astana)
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Kazakhstan 2020 Crime & Safety Report: Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana) This is an annual report produced in conjunction with the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy in Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana). OSAC encourages travelers to use this report to gain baseline knowledge of security conditions in Kazakhstan. For more in-depth information, review OSAC’s country-specific page for original OSAC reporting, consular messages, and contact information, some of which may be available only to private-sector representatives with an OSAC password. Travel Advisory The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses Kazakhstan at Level 1, indicating travelers should exercise normal precautions. For more information, review OSAC’s report, Understanding the Consular Travel Advisory System. Overall Crime and Safety Situation Crime Threats The U.S. Department of State has assessed Nur-Sultan as being a LOW-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. The reported numbers of incidents in all categories of crime are statistically on par with or lower than an average city in the United States. Crime does not impede the operations of U.S. private-sector organizations. Petty theft, while not common, continues to be the most common crime against foreigners. Pickpockets tend to frequent tourist sites, open-air markets, and heavily traveled public transportation, especially buses. The U.S. Embassy has received reports about vehicle break-ins (smash-and-grabs). Other common crimes in Nur-Sultan are purse snatching, residential burglary, theft, and robbery. Review OSAC’s reports, All That You Should Leave Behind. Drunken/disorderly behavior is commonplace, particularly in bars and nightclubs. Incidents involving assault, petty theft, robbery, driving mishaps, and violent verbal exchanges can often be traced to alcohol. The U.S. Embassy is aware of several incidents in which criminals have drugged, robbed, and physically assaulted foreigners, including U.S. citizens, leaving popular bars and nightclubs in Nur-Sultan. For more information, review OSAC’s Report Shaken: The Don’ts of Alcohol Abroad. There have been several incidents in which expatriates reported being harassed, and in some instances even assaulted, by unknown perpetrators for what the victims believed to be their involvement with/ relationship to local companions. Cybersecurity Issues Credit cards are becoming more widely accepted. Reports of ATM skimmers are more prevalent, but fraud does not appear to be a widespread problem. Review OSAC’s reports, The Overseas Traveler’s Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud and Taking Credit. 1 Review OSAC’s reports, Cybersecurity Basics, Best Practices for Maximizing Security on Public Wi-Fi, Traveling with Mobile Devices: Trends & Best Practices, and Satellite Phones: Critical or Contraband? Transportation-Safety Situation Road Safety and Road Conditions Roads in Kazakhstan are in poor repair, especially in rural areas. Driving can be extremely dangerous, particularly for those coming from the United States. Many drivers have received little/no driver’s education. Drivers tend to be aggressive, routinely disregard traffic laws, do not obey signals, drive in oncoming lanes of traffic, and move at excessive speeds, even during adverse weather conditions. Road rage is common; it is not unusual to see people get out of their cars to confront each other over perceived offenses. People will regularly drive and park on sidewalks, especially during peak traffic hours when driver patience runs thin. Another concern for drivers is pedestrians, who can be equally unpredictable and reckless. Pedestrians will wear dark clothing at night and cross streets at will, not checking for oncoming traffic. Pedestrians always have the right of way on marked crosswalks, even on busy avenues/highways; therefore, they may not check the road before venturing out into the middle of the street on the crosswalk. Kazakhstan has a zero-tolerance policy with regards to drinking and driving. Despite this official policy, many drive after excessive alcohol consumption. Consumption of alcohol paired with driving could result in criminal charges, fines, and/or imprisonment. Visitors who intend to drive should obtain adequate local liability insurance and maintain parallel insurance with a U.S. carrier. If you own a private car, ensure you have all required vehicular paperwork by Kazakhstani law. Review OSAC’s reports, Road Safety Abroad, Driving Overseas: Best Practices, and Evasive Driving Techniques; and read the State Department’s webpage on driving and road safety abroad. Public Transportation Conditions If possible, arrange for private transportation with an experienced local driver. Avoid riding overly crowded buses and microbuses whenever possible. Pickpocketing is a frequent occurrence on crowded buses. Many foreigners follow the local custom of hailing private vehicles on the street and negotiating a fee with the driver on the spot. Use of these cabs is strongly discouraged. Never get into a cab if there is already a passenger in the vehicle and get out if the driver stops to pick up another passenger. There have been instances in which drivers have drugged, robbed, beaten, and left foreigners at out-of-the-way locations. There have also been reports of passengers of unmarked taxis found unconscious after accepting laced cigarettes. Ridesharing apps have been active in Kazakhstan since 2016. Some drivers speak passable English. 2 Trains tend to be slow but relatively safe. An overnight express train runs between Nur-Sultan and Almaty several times a week. Unless you book an entire compartment, other passengers will be sleeping in the same compartment as you. There have been several reports of male passengers harassing U.S. females traveling alone on overnight trains. International trains service Russia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Urumqi (China); most operate on a weekly schedule. Review OSAC’s report, Security In Transit: Airplanes, Public Transport, and Overnights. Aviation/Airport Conditions As there is no direct commercial air service to the United States by carriers registered in Kazakhstan, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed the government of Kazakhstan’s Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards. Further information is available on the FAA’s safety assessment page. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, a specialized agency of the United Nations) inspectors, however, previously identified serious and persistent lapses in the safety oversight of commercial air service on some Kazakhstan-registered airlines. As a result, without prior approval, U.S. government personnel may not travel on any Kazakhstani airline operating regularly scheduled flights except for Air Astana and FlyArystan. This policy only applies to the official travel of U.S. government personnel. The Embassy will reevaluate the policy as reforms occur and future technical reviews, such as ICAO audits, determine that Kazakhstan’s civil aviation operations comply more substantially with acceptable international safety standards. Tourists arriving at the airports should make prior arrangements for a hired car or taxi via a sponsor or hotel if possible. Otherwise, take marked taxis that have already dropped off passengers. Terrorism Threat The U.S. Department of State has assessed Nur-Sultan as being a MEDIUM-threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. The Government of Kazakhstan continues to exhibit concern about violent extremism. There is a general threat of terrorist attack globally against U.S. interests, as well as U.S. citizens, from groups or individuals motivated by the conflict in Iraq and Syria. In addition, supporters of extremist groups such as the Islamic Jihad Union, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and al-Qa’ida have expressed anti-U.S. sentiments and may attempt to target U.S. government or private interests in the region, including in Kazakhstan. Because of increased security at official U.S. facilities, terrorists may also target soft targets such as commercial or residential areas, clubs and restaurants, places of worship, hotels, schools, outdoor recreation events, resorts, beaches, maritime facilities, and aircraft. While the potential exists for violent extremist activity, Kazakhstan’s security elements have demonstrated an ability to interdict such activities. In January 2019, authorities detained six suspected foreign terrorists in a raid in Almaty. Authorities found materials for improvised explosive devices, firearms, and ammunition during the raid. The group may have been planning attacks against civilians in public areas of Almaty; authorities believe the suspects were coordinating with ISIS. Be alert to any security-related announcements by Kazakhstani authorities. 3 Political, Economic, Religious, and Ethnic Violence The U.S. Department of State has assessed Nur-Sultan as being a LOW-threat location for political violence directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. Civil Unrest Civil unrest and/or protests are rare. There have been occasional, and sometimes violent, clashes between foreign workers and their Kazakhstani counterparts in a few cities, and particularly in Atyrau, which hosts many expatriate workers. In these cases, Kazakhstani workers publicly complained that their wages were less