Asia Plus: Over 5000 TJ citizens banned from leaving due to debt

The Asia Plus article dated 20 October 2025, citing a report by the Enforcement Service under the Government of Tajikistan, reports that more than 5,000 Tajik citizens have been banned from leaving the country due to unpaid debts. The article states that over the first nine months of 2025, around 1,600 individuals listed in the national debtor registry were prevented from crossing the border, and that these travel restrictions compelled debtors to repay over 24.7 million somonis, more than US$108,000, and 1,736 Belarusian rubles in outstanding debts to the state, individuals and businesses. The report states that compared to the same period the previous year, the number of restricted debtors rose by 260 people, with repayments increasing by 9.65 million somonis, US$91,800 and 1,736 Belarusian rubles. From January to September 2025, the Unified State Debtor Register recorded 2,350 individuals and 13 organisations—1,062 more entries than the previous year. The Enforcement Service is quoted as stating that travel bans have currently been imposed on 5,075 debtors, an increase of 2,123 compared to the previous year, and that since the policy’s inception more than 21,000 debtors have been subject to similar restrictions. The article also reports that nearly 150 million somonis in alimony payments have been collected in favour of mothers and children in the first nine months of 2025—an increase of 126.5 million somonis compared with the previous year—and that the Enforcement Service is managing nearly 98,900 alimony-related enforcement cases. The head of the Enforcement Service, Akhtam Abdullozoda, is quoted explaining that alimony payers failing to pay for two months are added to the debtor registry and subject to travel restrictions.