Combating Human Trafficking and Gender-Based Violence in Kyrgyzstan
Protecting people from gender-based violence and human trafficking through prevention, survivor support, and systemic change across Kyrgyzstan.
About Our Anti-Trafficking and GBV Programme in Kyrgyzstan
The Oasis Foundation has operated in Kyrgyzstan since 2003, providing direct assistance to survivors of human trafficking and gender-based violence (GBV). We are one of the few organizations in Kyrgyzstan combining anti-trafficking work with GBV response under a single integrated programme. In 2025 alone, we assisted 250+ survivors and trained 350+ government officials on victim identification under Kyrgyzstan’s National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for Victims of Trafficking.
Our survivor-centered model provides immediate protection and long-term rehabilitation, and our advocacy pushes for structural change at the national level. We work alongside survivors, communities, state institutions, and civil society to close the gaps that allow violence and trafficking to persist.
How Human Trafficking Operates in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan is classified as a source country for human trafficking, with victims predominantly recruited through fraudulent employment offers in Russia, Turkey, the UAE, and other countries. Traffickers target individuals facing economic hardship – particularly from rural areas and among labour migrants – with promises of well-paying jobs abroad. Once in the destination country, victims have their passports confiscated, are subjected to debt bondage, and have wages withheld as mechanisms of control.
Women and girls face disproportionate risk of sexual exploitation and domestic servitude. Men and boys are predominantly trafficked into forced labour in construction, agriculture, and manufacturing. Children, care leavers, and stateless persons are among the most vulnerable groups. Since 2003, Oasis Foundation has worked directly with survivors of these forms of exploitation, providing support at every stage from crisis intervention through to long-term reintegration.
Programme Impact
- 250+ survivors of trafficking and GBV received direct psychological, legal, and humanitarian support from Oasis Foundation in 2025.
- 1.5 million people across Kyrgyzstan have been reached through Oasis prevention campaigns since 2003, including community education, school outreach, and national media.
- 350+ government officials and social workers trained by Oasis on victim identification and referral under Kyrgyzstan’s National Referral Mechanism (Government Resolution No. 493, 2019).
- 20+ years of continuous operation — Oasis Foundation has delivered integrated anti-trafficking and GBV response in Kyrgyzstan since 2003, one of the longest-running programmes of its kind in Central Asia.
- 10+ projects implemented since founding, including Care for One – Care for All (2022-2023), which delivered direct case management to 123 trafficking survivors in a single year.
How We Help Survivors of Trafficking and GBV
Crisis Support & Reintegration
Legal Advocacy
Psycho-social Support
Prevention & Awareness
Working Together Against Trafficking and Violence
Oasis Foundation does not work alone. We operate as part of international networks and local coalitions dedicated to ending human trafficking and gender-based violence in Kyrgyzstan and across Central Asia.
Founded by Oasis Foundation, KoldooBar unites seven crisis centres across Kyrgyzstan into a single coordinated front - enabling joint fundraising, shared resources, and a unified response to gender-based violence. The coalition strengthens each centre's capacity to protect survivors and advocate for systemic change.
Oasis Foundation is a member of STOP THE TRAFFIK, an international movement using community intelligence and data to prevent trafficking before it happens. We share intelligence, methodologies, and advocacy platforms through this network.
stopthetraffik.orgOasis Foundation Kyrgyzstan is part of the Oasis Global network - an international family of organisations working in more than 20 countries to serve communities affected by poverty, exclusion, and exploitation.
oasisuk.orgOasis Foundation operates under Kyrgyzstan's National Referral Mechanism for Victims of Trafficking (Government Resolution No. 493, 2019) and contributes to national and international reporting on trafficking trends. For partnership enquiries, contact info@oasiskg.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
About human trafficking, gender-based violence, and support in Kyrgyzstan. Urgent help: info@oasiskg.org · +996 772 554 508
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Yes. Kyrgyzstan is classified by international bodies as a source country for human trafficking. Victims are most commonly recruited through false promises of employment abroad, particularly in Russia, Turkey, and the UAE. The Kyrgyz Republic has adopted a National Referral Mechanism (Government Resolution No. 493, 2019) to coordinate government and NGO responses to trafficking cases. Between 2022 and 2024, criminal cases related to human trafficking and illegal migration increased, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic.
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The National Referral Mechanism for Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings was established by Government Resolution No. 493 on 19 September 2019. It is a formal framework defining how state institutions and civil society organisations identify, refer, and support trafficking victims across Kyrgyzstan. Oasis Foundation actively participates in the NRM and has trained more than 350 government officials and social workers on its implementation.
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Oasis Foundation provides integrated, survivor-centred support including crisis intervention, safe housing referrals, free legal representation, psychological counselling, and long-term reintegration planning. In 2025, we assisted more than 250 survivors of human trafficking and gender-based violence across Kyrgyzstan. Our work includes the project Care for One — Care for All, through which we delivered direct case management to 123 trafficking survivors in a single project year.
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Suspected human trafficking cases in Kyrgyzstan can be reported to the Ministry of Internal Affairs or through the National Referral Mechanism. You can also contact Oasis Foundation directly at info@oasiskg.org or +996 772 554 508 for guidance, referral support, and confidential assistance.
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Human smuggling involves illegally transporting a person across a border, usually with their consent and for payment. Human trafficking involves the exploitation of a person through force, fraud, or coercion — regardless of whether a border was crossed. A person can be trafficked entirely within their own country. The defining element of trafficking is exploitation, not movement. Kyrgyzstan is primarily a source country for cross-border trafficking, but internal trafficking cases also occur.
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People most at risk include labour migrants seeking work abroad, women and girls from rural areas, young people leaving state care (care leavers), stateless persons, and individuals facing acute economic hardship. Women and girls are disproportionately targeted for sexual exploitation and domestic servitude. Men and boys are predominantly trafficked into forced labour in construction and agriculture.
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Oasis Foundation works alongside state institutions under Kyrgyzstan's National Referral Mechanism. We deliver structured training for government officials, social workers, and law enforcement on victim identification, trauma-informed response, and legal referral procedures — training more than 350 officials to date. We also contribute to national policy advocacy aimed at strengthening legal protections for trafficking victims and improving survivor support pathways.