Following the deportation in May 1944, the Crimean Tatar people found themselves in places of exile — predominantly in Uzbekistan, the Urals, Siberia, and other regions of the USSR. Hundreds of thousands of people were forcibly removed from their native Crimea within a few days. The journey in freight cars, harsh living conditions, and starvation led to numerous casualties in the very first years of exile.

In their new places of residence, Crimean Tatars were under the surveillance of commandant’s offices and held the status of special settlers. This regime entailed constant state control. People were obliged to regularly report to the authorities, could not freely change their place of residence, and faced punishment for violating the established rules. In effect, this meant a years-long restriction of basic rights and freedoms.

In 1956, the Soviet authorities formally abolished the special settlement regime. This meant that Crimean Tatars were no longer under commandant surveillance and could move more freely. This decision was a consequence of partial de-Stalinisation after Stalin’s death, when the authorities reviewed certain repressive practices.

However, the people were not granted the right to return to Crimea. Crimean Tatars were not returned their property, their autonomy was not restored, and their ability to live in their homeland continued to be restricted. Unlike some other deported peoples, Crimean Tatars remained without official recognition of the crime committed against them for a long time.

Despite the bans, the first families began to return to Crimea as early as the 1960s. Often, these were isolated attempts in defiance of existing restrictions, and many were forced to leave the peninsula again. At the same time, over the decades, Crimean Tatars waged a non-violent struggle for the right to return: they sent letters and petitions, created initiative groups, and demanded the restoration of justice.

Furthermore, one of the acts of resistance that went down in history forever was the self-immolation of Crimean Tatar Musa Mamut in the courtyard of his own home on 23 June 1978. This was a protest against persecution by the Soviet authorities, who had forbidden him from living on the peninsula.

The mass return of the Crimean Tatars to their land became possible only in the late 1980s. After a prolonged struggle by the Crimean Tatars for their rights, the Soviet authorities were forced to recognise the deportation as illegal and criminal.

In 1989, the large-scale return of the Crimean Tatar people to Crimea began. Tens of thousands of families returned home, rebuilt their lives practically from scratch, and restored their communities, culture, and connection to their land.

The year 1956 was an important step, but not a restoration of justice. After being released from the special settlements, Crimean Tatars fought for decades for the right to live in Crimea. Their history is a testament to the resilience of the people and their consistent struggle to return home.