Protecting the Rights of Kyrgyz and other Central Asian Migrants

Donor: Central Eurasia Program, Open Society Foundations

Duration: Stage I. August 2012 - July 2013

Goal: To raise awareness and heighten the level of debate on policy issues relevant to protecting Kyrgyz migrants and their families.
Short Description: The Tian Shan Policy Center (TSPC) will conduct research and analysis and disseminate findings of best practices and standards for consideration by policy-makers, international agencies, as well as NGOs in the Kyrgyz Republic. It will facilitate a more robust dialogue of reforms by convening stakeholder dialogue meetings. The TSPC anticipates that the Project will help strengthen the work of government, policy-makers, and NGOs. To increase the tools available to advocates, the TSPC will also be creating a web-based platform for a new migrant rights knowledge-management center. This platform will allow the Project to collect and disseminate Central Asian specific data to advocates and policy-makers on demographic and social protection needs, key issues, laws, policies, programs, negotiations, and other reform activities. It will also identify the groups working on migrant rights issues in the region to enhance networks and information sharing.

Kindly see the following documents developed within this project:

- Press Release

- Briefing Document

 

On September 13, 2012, the TSPC organized an informal Research Workshop titled "Protecting Rights of Kyrgyz Labor Migrants: Identifying Key Challenges" as the first event within the project. The purpose of the workshop was to bring together research groups and experts in Kyrgyzstan to further refine the research agenda and prioritize the focus of work in the coming year with a view on identifying the most critical issues in protecting Kyrgyz migrants and their families. It was an informal workshop represented by key research institutions in Bishkek.

The workshop findings will help guide TSPC’s policy research in key issues and the involvement of other experts in this field will be of a great value to our efforts to improve policy in this important area. 

- List of Participants

- Press Release

- Research Workshop Report

 

On January 25, 2013, the TSPC co-organized a Seminar within the project's activities on "Stakeholder Dialogue" in the Kashkasuu Ski Resort. The Seminar was held for the Working Group on Establishing National Public Council on Migration in Kyrgyzstan. The goal of the event was to design and plan for the newly established Council. The participants developed Action Plan and schedule of activities, as well as the licensing procedures of the Council.

- List of Participants

- Report on Stakeholder Meeting 

- Photo Gallery

 

On March 26, 2013 TSPC organized Roundtable Workshop “International Experience on Protection of Labor Migrants’ Rights and Its Application to Kyrgyzstan” as a second event within the project.  The goal of the Roundtable was to bring together migration groups, key experts and government representatives in Kyrgyzstan to discuss the TSPC’s preliminary findings on other countries’ best practices that could be useful in Kyrgyzstan’s implementation of new reforms to protect Kyrgyz labor migrants. TSPC’s Russian expert also presented his research findings on the best Kyrgyz migrant protection practices in the Russian Federation. The Roundtable was held at the Ala-Archa State Residence of the President.

-  Press Release

-  List of Participants

-  Presentations

-  Report

-  Photo Gallery

 

On 11 April, 2013, TSPC at the American University of Central Asia, organized a Roundtable on the Issues in Question in the Sphere of Labor Migration within the Framework of the Migration Big Public Council (BPC) Creation in the Kyrgyz Republic. The day-long Roundtable meeting was held in the premises of the American University in the Central Asia.

 - Press Release

-  List of Participants

-  Program of Meeting

-  Report

 

On June 3-4, 2013, TSPC at the American University of Central Asia, together with the Public Association "Resource Centre for the Elderly” (RCE, www.rce.kg), which is working in the sphere of social support and protection of the elderly population of Kyrgyzstan for more than 21 years, hosted the International Conference on Best Practices in Protecting Labor Migrants’ Rights and Perspectives of their Application in Kyrgyzstan. Conference was held in Hayatt Regency, Bishkek.

The Conference brought together experts both from the Government and international organizations, educational institutions, NGOs and think tanks from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Russia and the United States to discuss the best international practices in the field of labor migrants’ rights implementation.

In the framework of the Conference, the NTS television channel broadcasted a special video-report "The Nomads" in its "Situation" Program on Saturday, June 1, 2013. This report reflected on the challenges of migration and was to serve some food for thought for the Conference participants. The story line had been commissioned by TSPC.

Since 2012, the RCE has been implementing its project on the "Promotion of the Rights of the Families Affected by Migration” aimed at providing vulnerable families that depend on migration with access to social services and economic opportunities.

 - Press Release

 - Program of the Conference

 - List of Participants

 - Publications

 - Presentations

 - Report

 - Photo Gallery