In early October 2025, a resident of the Kara-Suu district of the Osh region named M. S. J. contacted the ombudsman asking for help in bringing her daughters back, who had been working in the neighboring country for a year and a half. According to her, in March 2024, a certain K. K. took the girls, aged 16 and 18, to Shymkent, promising them work and care.
However, upon arrival, the girls began to complain to their mother about mistreatment and constant difficulties. "They worked at a market for two sisters, and after their workday, they were forced to carry heavy bags in a warehouse, being treated like slaves. When they expressed their desire to leave, they were beaten. I called and demanded their release, but K. K. refused, claiming that we had signed a three-year contract," the woman recounted.
According to her, the employers took her daughters' documents, making it impossible for them to escape. "My girls could no longer endure it and told me, 'If you don't come to get us, we will jump out of the third-floor window,'" she shared.
Ombudsman Jamila Dzhamanbaeva sent official requests to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, urging them to assist in the swift return of the citizens to their homeland. She noted that the girls' rights had been grossly violated, which is unacceptable under national legislation and international obligations of Kyrgyzstan.
With the help of the General Consulate of Kyrgyzstan in Almaty and the Kyrgyz diaspora, the girls were found in Shymkent. It turned out that they had violated Kazakhstan's migration rules. As a result, a court process took place in Korday, after which, on October 13, the girls returned to Kyrgyzstan and were handed over to their mother.
Illustration on the main page: dw.com.
