Corruption on Uzbek-Kyrgyz Border Checkpoints
Kyrgyz border guards have been accused of charging citizens of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to cross the border. According to reports, citizens are being charged amounts ranging from 100 to 300 Kyrgyz soms for crossing the border. This information was revealed by deputy Irisbek Otajonov at a meeting of the Kyrgyz Parliament.
Otajonov revealed that there have been reports of corruption on the Uzbek-Kyrgyz border for some time. During the meeting, he called on border guard employees to stop extorting money from citizens and embarrassing the state.
Similar incidents have been previously reported at the Dostlik post of Kyrgyzstan, where it was alleged that permission to cross the border starts from 50,000 Uzbek soums.
As corruption and illegal activities continue to plague the Uzbek-Kyrgyz border, it remains to be seen what steps will be taken to address the situation and ensure that citizens are able to cross the border freely without being subjected to extortion by border guards.
