Following last month’s mob violence against South Asian students and workers in capital Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s government is cracking down on illegal immigration and considering changes to its immigration rules. Experts say the recent measures have divided Kyrgyz officials, and they could end up hurting the Kyrgyz economy.
On May 18, about 700 Kyrgyz youths gathered in front of several Bishkek hostels mostly housing South Asian medical students, and they protested increasing immigration and demanded expulsion of foreign workers allegedly violating immigration rules.
The protesters then broke into the hostels and assaulted residents and destroyed property. According to police reports, 41 students were injured, mainly Pakistanis.
The police are still investigating the causes of the violence, but some officials were quick to deliver their opinion of the unrest.
Among them was Kamchibek Tashiev, the head of the State Committee for National Security, or GKNB, which is a successor of the Kyrgyz branch of the now defunct Soviet KGB). In a May 18 video appearance, he said the protesters’ demands were “to some extent correct.”
“We have statistics on crimes committed by illegal migrants. In general, these are illegal migrants from Bangladesh and Pakistan,” Tashiev said, noting that Kyrgyz authorities deported about 2500 people for violating migration rules in the past several months.
Tashiev, also deputy chairman of the Kyrgyz Cabinet of Ministers, is the most influential Kyrgyz leader after President Sadyr Japarov, and his call to stiffen immigration rules has been taken seriously.
The Interior Ministry, which is answerable to Tashiev, proposed changes on May 24 to the immigration law to double the fines for overstaying a visa or unauthorized employment by immigrants, and raising the fine for employing foreigners who violated the rules.
On May 30, the police conducted raids in Bishkek and other towns, resulting in the detention of 64 foreigners police said violated immigration rules.
Kyrgyz media had reported in April that the Labor Ministry had suspended issuing worker visas for Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, and Indians.
Crackdown spurs divisions in government
The immigration crackdown is causing consternation. Rakhim, a Pakistani medical student in a Kyrgyz university, said most of the Indian and Pakistani students targeted by the mobs hold legal residence under student visas, adding “We respect Kyrgyz traditions and laws.” He also complained about discrimination, saying the recent government measures have mainly been directed at South Asian country nationals.
Kyrgyz media reported that more than 4,000 foreign students, mostly Pakistanis, have departed Kyrgyzstan since May 18.
Asel Myrzakulova, a senior research fellow at University of Central Asia, suggested in a May 23 opinion article in The Diplomat that authorities could be exaggerating illegal immigration.
"Official figures from the Ministry of Internal Affairs suggest a low incidence of illegal migration; for instance, in the first quarter of 2024, approximately 60 individuals were identified [as violators], with 264 criminal cases initiated at the start of the year," she wrote.
The proposed legislative changes and the crackdown on illegal migration are raising concerns within the Kyrgyz government, too.
According to the National Statistics Committee, 71,000 foreign students are studying for degrees in Kyrgyzstan, including about 24,000 from India and Pakistan, mainly studying medicine
Late last year, facing growing demand from Kyrgyzstan's construction, mining and garments industries, the Labor Ministry increased the quota for foreign workers from 16,600 to 25,000 places.
Labor Minister Gulnara Baatyrova spoke about negative impacts from the departure of migrants in a May 18 interview with Kyrgyz media.
“We’re dealing with serious shortages of workers, and if they [foreign workers] leave, then this will negatively affect all small enterprises and businesses that are paying taxes to the state. Industries will come to a halt, and this will hurt the economy,” she said.
Baatyrova also defended the government’s existing policy on foreign workers.
"Private business owners say foreigners show up for work regularly and on time, and in some cases work beyond the established schedule. Most of our citizens have gone to work in Russia and other neighboring countries and received permanent residence there. Our offers to return and work in Kyrgyzstan always remain unanswered," she said, noting that 6,500 job vacancies advertised by her ministry are unfilled.
Political considerations
A Bishkek-based journalist who spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity said the Kyrgyz leadership has been alarmed by the May 18 unrest.
“The crowds [made up of unruly youths] could easily turn their anger at the government and occupy government buildings,” he said. The journalist added that the recent immigration crackdown is an effort by Kyrgyz officials to appease such crowds.
Emil Joroev, a professor at American University of Central Asia located in Bishkek, said in a May 20 media interview:
“We haven’t seen such protests in Kyrgyzstan on sensitive political themes in a long while because the government has been suppressing such opportunities [to protest].”
In his May 18 video appearance, Tashiev claimed there were outside agents among the May 18 protesters.
"Among them were those who, relying on telephone and WhatsApp, were raising various provocative issues against the state ... There were also people who had weapons. We have detained them and will prosecute," he said.
Attempting reconciliation
President Japarov sought to reconcile divisions within his government.
In a May 20 statement on his official website, he described "the demands of our patriotic youth to stop the illegal migration of foreign citizens and to take strict measures against those who allow such activities” as “certainly correct," but he also sided with the officials who encouraged foreign migration.
"We all know that they [migrants from South Asia] pay taxes. Those educational establishments that provide foreign students with educational services and small businesses in our country earn millions of dollars. This revenue works for the good of our economy,” he said.
In a May 30 post on Facebook, Japarov wrote that Kyrgyzstan was in dire need of workers.
"Sewing workshops, construction companies and other enterprises which were actively working during the past two years, are forced to suspend their activities because of the shortage of workers. We are also receiving numerous requests from the service sector, and company directors are requesting to increase the quotas for foreign workers."
Japarov urged Kyrgyz citizens to apply for local jobs, but some observers doubt his call will have any impact.
In her May 18 media interview, Baatyrova spoke about why Kyrgyz companies are reluctant to hire local workers.
"Our citizens do not come to work on time, disappear for two to three days after receiving their salary, and ask for time off for celebrations and birthdays," she said.
