Human trafficking in Kyrgyzstan
Encyclopedia
The Kyrgyz Republic is a source, transit, and to a lesser extent a destination country for men and women trafficked from Uzbekistan
, Tajikistan
, and Turkmenistan
for purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation. Men and women are trafficked to Kazakhstan
for forced agricultural labor—mainly in tobacco fields—to Russia
for forced construction work, and to China
for bonded labor. Kyrgyz and foreign women are trafficked to the U.A.E., China, Kazakhstan, South Korea
, Italy
, Turkey
, Greece
, Cyprus
, Thailand
, Germany
, and Syria
for sexual exploitation
.
The Government of the Kyrgyz Republic does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Although the government demonstrated some limited progress in collecting law enforcement data, complicity in trafficking of low-level government officials remained a concern. NGOs reported improved efforts by law enforcement personnel in referring victims for assistance.
. In 2007, the government conducted 33 investigations—19 of them pertaining to alleged labor trafficking crimes—compared to 39 investigations in total in 2006. The government did not provide complete data on trafficking prosecutions, though authorities report the conviction of 23 trafficking
offenders in 2007. Although the government was unable to provide complete sentencing data, some convicted traffickers served sentences ranging from five to eight years’ imprisonment. NGOs contended that low-level law enforcement officials were complicit and accepted bribes from traffickers; other low-level police reportedly tolerated trafficking due to a lack of awareness. The government provided law enforcement personnel with trafficking- awareness training.
accounted for 134 of the total of 331 victims identified. Victims are encouraged to participate in trafficking investigations and prosecutions; victims who do not cooperate with law enforcement are potentially subject to being penalized for immigration violations and related offenses, although there were no reports of victims being penalized during the reporting period. The witness protection law, passed in 2006, continued to lack implementation procedures; as a result, no victims of crime—including trafficking victims— were protected by police in 2007.
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
, Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
, and Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan , formerly also known as Turkmenia is one of the Turkic states in Central Asia. Until 1991, it was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic . Turkmenistan is one of the six independent Turkic states...
for purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation. Men and women are trafficked to Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
for forced agricultural labor—mainly in tobacco fields—to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
for forced construction work, and to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
for bonded labor. Kyrgyz and foreign women are trafficked to the U.A.E., China, Kazakhstan, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
for sexual exploitation
Sexual slavery
Sexual slavery is when unwilling people are coerced into slavery for sexual exploitation. The incidence of sexual slavery by country has been studied and tabulated by UNESCO, with the cooperation of various international agencies...
.
The Government of the Kyrgyz Republic does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Although the government demonstrated some limited progress in collecting law enforcement data, complicity in trafficking of low-level government officials remained a concern. NGOs reported improved efforts by law enforcement personnel in referring victims for assistance.
Prosecution
The Kyrgyz government demonstrated limited law enforcement efforts during the reporting period. A 2005 law on Prevention and Combating Trafficking in Persons criminalizes trafficking for both sexual exploitation and forced labor; prescribed sentences range from three to 20 years’ imprisonment, which are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with penalties prescribed for other grave crimes, such as rapeRape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
. In 2007, the government conducted 33 investigations—19 of them pertaining to alleged labor trafficking crimes—compared to 39 investigations in total in 2006. The government did not provide complete data on trafficking prosecutions, though authorities report the conviction of 23 trafficking
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
offenders in 2007. Although the government was unable to provide complete sentencing data, some convicted traffickers served sentences ranging from five to eight years’ imprisonment. NGOs contended that low-level law enforcement officials were complicit and accepted bribes from traffickers; other low-level police reportedly tolerated trafficking due to a lack of awareness. The government provided law enforcement personnel with trafficking- awareness training.
Protection
The government sustained modest efforts to assist victims during the reporting period. Although the government provided no direct funding for victim services or medical assistance, it continued to provide space for three shelters run by anti-trafficking NGOs. Law enforcement referred four victims to IOM and NGOs for assistance in 2007. In 2007, Kyrgyz citizens identified abroad and repatriated to KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
accounted for 134 of the total of 331 victims identified. Victims are encouraged to participate in trafficking investigations and prosecutions; victims who do not cooperate with law enforcement are potentially subject to being penalized for immigration violations and related offenses, although there were no reports of victims being penalized during the reporting period. The witness protection law, passed in 2006, continued to lack implementation procedures; as a result, no victims of crime—including trafficking victims— were protected by police in 2007.