The Employment Center for Citizens Abroad, operating under the Ministry of Labor, has been actively helping Kyrgyz citizens find legal work outside the country for several years. Esenbek Ergeshov, the chief specialist of the agency, emphasizes in an interview on Birinchi Radio that organized employment has become an important tool for improving the living standards of many families.
According to him, the center provides organized employment services for Kyrgyz citizens in international labor markets, as well as offers consultations on the protection of citizens' rights and financial assistance to families who have incurred expenses for the repatriation of deceased compatriots. Additionally, the ministry licenses private employment agencies and exercises strict control over their operations.
Esenbek Ergeshov reported that Kyrgyzstan has signed employment agreements with several countries, including the United Kingdom, South Korea, Russia, and Turkey. Active work is underway with Japan and Italy. Kyrgyz citizens work in agriculture in the UK, in the tourism and service sectors in Turkey, specialists are in demand for manufacturing and warehousing in Russia, and in South Korea, they are needed in the industry. Vacancies are open in the transport and logistics sector in Slovakia.
He noted that in 2025, about 170,000 Kyrgyz citizens went abroad for work, and about 25,000 of them found jobs with the help of the employment center and private agencies: 5,500 through the center and 19,500 through agencies.
“Currently, there are 148 licensed agencies in Kyrgyzstan that send citizens to 26 countries. More than 99% of them have been operating honestly for a long time. However, there are illegal organizations that undermine trust in the sector. Online fraud is particularly dangerous, becoming active during mass recruitment periods in England. Scammers use aggressive advertising, promising high salaries for work in the UK or Germany. In 2025, the center received inquiries from 65 victims who collectively lost 110,000 US dollars,” Ergeshov noted.
