300 Kyrgyzstani Employees Abused By Their Employers Abroad

In a huge blow to workers’ rights, around 300 Kyrgyzstani employees were abused by their employers abroad. They often risk detention and complications regarding their immigration status in foreign countries.

Kyrgyzstan, a landlocked country in Central Asia, is gripped by poverty. According to the Asian Development Bank, around 33.3% of the population in the Kyrgyz Republic lived below the national poverty line in 2021.

Many people seek employment in other countries in order to live a better life. According to knowledgeable sources, approximately 1.5 million citizens of Kyrgyzstan are currently in labor migration abroad. The majority of Kyrgyz citizens go to the United Kingdom, South Korea, Hungary, Turkey, and Germany, seeking better job opportunities.

300 Kyrgyzstani employees abused by their employers abroad

Approximately 300 Kyrgyz citizens told AKIpress that their employment contracts in foreign countries were not fulfilled by their employers. Arslan Baisopuev, a representative of the Center for Employment of Citizens Abroad at the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection, and Migration of the Kyrgyz Republic, said that 300 Kyrgyz citizens sought help and assistance from the authorities due to discrepancies in their labor contracts with employers.

Most people engage with unregistered agencies in Kyrgyzstan to get jobs abroad. Unregistered agencies fail to protect them in foreign countries, leading to the violation of their rights. The embassy officials in foreign countries provide legal assistance to affected citizens.

Human trafficking, slavery, servitude and forced labor are all forms of exploitation of workers’ rights. In many cases, migrant workers are affected by abusive situations. Domestic workers hoping to improve their lives overseas risk exploitation and abuse.

In October, the Bureau for Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) and The Independent revealed that the UK’s agricultural employees faced greater levels of exploitation, including racism, wage theft and threats of being sent back home. The UK ignored migrant worker abuses on farms. Migrant workers faced mistreatment or discrimination at the workplace. 

Last year, foreign workers criticized the UK farm labor scheme. They said that workers were living without bathrooms and running water. They were subjected to “unacceptable” welfare conditions.