42,000 Kyrgyz migrant children living with relatives but without guardians
At least 84,542 children of labor migrants were identified in Kyrgyzstan during household visits in the first quarter of 2024, according to the Ministry of Labor, Social Security, and Migration.
Out of these children, 42,648 live with relatives without proper guardianship registration, leaving the relatives not legally responsible for the children’s future. The ministry has noted cases where children of labor migrants face emotional and psychological challenges due to the lack of parental care despite being in a family environment. Some of these children do not attend school, seek medical help, or access state services, indicating a need for psychological support and assistance.
To address these issues, social workers conduct comprehensive assessments of the child and family’s situation in difficult living conditions, after which they develop individual plans for working with the children and protecting their rights.
The Ministry of Labor had previously planned to introduce a legal regulation requiring labor migrants to inform social workers about children temporarily deprived of parental care, but faced obstacles in the public discussion process. Nonetheless, the ministry remains committed to its efforts and aims to introduce the concept of “children of labor migrants” into the Children’s Code to provide better protection and support for these vulnerable individuals.
