BISHKEK (TCA) — On April 10, the U.S. Government through USAID launched two information terminals at Manas International Airport in Bishkek to prevent human trafficking and protect the rights of Kyrgyzstani migrants traveling abroad, the U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan said. Ten additional kiosks will be installed across the country. The kiosks will inform travelers about their rights and steps they can take to avoid becoming victims of human trafficking. The estimated 700,000 Kyrgyzstani migrants living and working abroad face frequent discrimination and a high risk of falling prey to human traffickers.
USAID’s Dignity and Rights program, implemented by the International Organization for Migration in partnership with the State Migration Service of Kyrgyzstan, informs migrants how to avoid the risks and the traps that lead to being trafficked. In addition to information campaigns and the 189 Hotline for migrants, the project provides direct support to Kyrgyzstani victims of human trafficking. Dignity and Rights has already helped more than 100 migrants who were badly in need of food and medical care, and who had lost their identification documents through exploitation abroad. Equally important, it is providing them with vocational training to help them gain new skills and avoid the need to leave the Kyrgyz Republic to find work.
The U.S. Government, through USAID’s Dignity and Rights initiative, continues its joint efforts with the government and the people of the Kyrgyz Republic to advance human rights, make migration safer, and improve the quality of life of Kyrgyzstan’s migrants and their families.
Hundreds of thousands of Kyrgyz migrant workers, mainly in Russia, send the money they earn there to their families back in Kyrgyzstan, thus supporting the country’s economy.
