Mongolian Kazakhs in Kazakhstan

thetys.caoss.org, a German-language blog dedicated to Central Asia, has a very interesting article by Henryk Alff on Kazakhs from Mongolia in Kazakhstan. The author has written his master thesis on just this topic, so about the only downside to the article seems to be his brevity. For anyone who does not read German, some key points are

• Before the 1990s, Kazakhs in Mongolia were very much isolated from Kazakhstan
• Between 1991 and 1993, about 40% of Mongolia's Kazakhs, or 60,000 people, moved to Kazakhstan. However, many of them returned to Mongolia later,
• Significant problems were that Kazakhs from Mongolia were that they spoke no Russian, did not gain Kazakh citizenship (huh?), were looked down upon as lazy and uncultivated, were initially settled in the disintegrating agrarian enterprises from socialist times, and lacked access to the local social networks,
• However, in the last years the number of immigrants has risen again. Kazakhs from Mongolia have found social niches, and a good share of new immigrants can rely on support from relatives who migrated to Kazakhstan earlier. Kazakhs from Mongolia today often live near or in the cities, working in trade, construction, or as craftspeople.