Published
05/21/2025, 16:17Today, the State Committee for National Security held a meeting to discuss the issue of illegal migration of foreign citizens residing in the Kyrgyz Republic. Since the beginning of the year, tens of thousands of tourists, students and official labour migrants have arrived in the country.
However, along with the legal influx, there has been an increase in the number of foreign citizens residing in the country illegally — their number has already reached about five thousand people.
According to the head of the State Committee for National Security, many foreigners, entering the country as tourists or students, are in fact engaged in labour activities without official permits. Inviting companies and educational institutions often fail to fulfil their obligations: they do not extend visas, leave visitors unaccompanied and without information, as a result of which foreigners find themselves in a vulnerable position. Such people often violate public order, abuse alcohol, use drugs, and behave provocatively and disrespectfully towards local traditions.
The head of the GKNB stressed that this situation poses risks to stability in the country and could lead to inter-ethnic conflicts. He also pointed to the poor work of universities, employers and travel agencies, which, in their pursuit of profit, do not engage in prevention and do not explain the rules of stay in the country to foreigners.
In order to regulate migration flows, a presidential decree on measures to optimise migration processes has been implemented since the beginning of the year. Under this initiative, the authority to issue permits has been transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the interdepartmental commission has been abolished, and the ‘single window’ principle has been introduced through the e-visa electronic portal. Fines for overstaying visas have also been significantly increased, and an additional 280 million KGS has been allocated from the national budget for the deportation of illegal immigrants.
