[ Human Trafficking, Country-by-Country ]

Kyrgyz Republic (Tier 2) – Extracted in part from the U.S. State Dept 2023 TIP Report

The Government of the Kyrgyz Republic (or Kyrgyzstan) does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared to the previous reporting period, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, if any, on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore the Kyrgyz Republic remained on Tier 2. These efforts included investigating and prosecuting more trafficking cases; collaborating with a foreign government on an international trafficking case; adopting the 2022-2025 NAP; and establishing a National Anti-Trafficking Rapporteur. However, the government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas. Resources for victim services and the availability of shelter for victims, especially children and male victims, remained insufficient. The government did not uniformly apply SOPs to identify trafficking victims among vulnerable populations, likely resulting in the inappropriate penalization of some unidentified victims for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked. The government did not secure any convictions for a second consecutive year.

Prioritized Recommendations

Increase efforts to proactively identify trafficking victims and refer them to services, particularly among vulnerable populations including individuals in commercial sex; female victims of crime; Kyrgyzstani and foreign national migrant workers; and LGBTQI+ individuals.

Consistently implement and train officials on the NRM and SOPs on victim identification and referral to care and ensure the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Service formally adopt the SOPs.

Vigorously investigate and prosecute alleged traffickers and seek adequate penalties for convicted traffickers, which should involve adequate prison terms, including complicit government officials, utilizing the articles of the criminal code relating to trafficking in persons.

Ensure victims are not inappropriately penalized solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked.

Increase trafficking-specific training for law enforcement, including on the relevant trafficking related criminal code articles.

Increase funding and in-kind support for victim services, including long-term services, social reintegration assistance, and shelters for men and child victims of trafficking.

Strengthen the capacity of the Labor Inspectorate to identify and refer victims of forced labor, including by increased training on human trafficking and allowing unfettered access to factories, construction sites, and farms.

Provide increased resources for law enforcement units designated to investigate online child sex trafficking and other cyber-facilitated trafficking crimes.

Develop mechanisms to prevent trafficking of returned migrants and families that depend on remittances, including by coordinating with international organizations and civil society.

Establish and implement child-friendly procedures for investigations and prosecutions.

Establish and implement a comprehensive anti-trafficking data collection system for use by law enforcement and inter-ministerial coordinating bodies.

Eliminate all employee-paid recruitment fees for Kyrgyzstani migrant workers.

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