The many perils of Sex Trafficking in Kyrgyzstan Written by Saadia Haq

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the problem of human trafficking has become more profound in Kyrgyzstan. The Republic continues to be an increasingly attractive prospect for traffickers luring women into towards the position industry, locally and abroad.

Human trafficking is a serious crime just like terrorism, smuggling of weapons or narcotics. Many women and men can be forced to provide sexual services for someone else’s profit. The central Asian region, in particular Kyrgyzstan is a hot bed for sex trafficking. More then often, the traffickers use force or threats to keep trafficked women and girls under control and exploit them.

While poverty pushes some women and girls to voluntarily join the commercial sex trade, there are others who end up becoming commercial sex workers without their will. Either ways, they are held captive; some try but fail to escape.

Coming from a family of five siblings, drunk father and struggling mother, eighteen year old Olga* decided she would support her mother and saw an advertisement for a job in the capital city. “Young waitress needed. Good salary.” She called the number on the advertisement and went to meet her new employers. But when Olga* arrived at the address her employers gave her, she was locked in the apartment and kept there by force. She and four other girls were raped, sexually enslaved and exploited. If they refused to work, they were beaten. In average, 20 000 $ was monthly profit traffickers made by exploiting them.

Finally one fine day Olga* was able to escape with another girl and seek help from the local office of IOM.

Contrary to this, many Kyrgyzi women get trafficked out of the country for the purpose of sex exploitation. The “migrants in sex market” phenomenon exists with the prevalent dynamics of the demand and supply. Consequently, migrants women are more vulnerable and at high risk of exploitation.

Non-governmental groups research in central Asia shows alarming evidences of the numbers of Kyrgyzi women getting trafficked abroad illegally, many a times in places where they are vulnerable due to foreign language and culture.  These women are often controlled through established networks in Middle East and Europe where they are sold into the sex industry at cheaper prices admits appalling human conditions.

Aika* (a female central asian trafficker) was a recruiter of village girls who used to work in saunas. When they would arrive to these foreign locations, her team would lock them into apartments and force them to become prostitutes. None of the girls would have any choice in choosing customers and for refusing to work. Those who rebelled were quickly shown brutal physical force to give in. However, twenty-one year old Gulya* ran away with the help of a customer. Later she contacted an aid agency to report the crime. This led to Aika* arrest and sentence of prison.

Meanwhile Gulya* moved to another location in order to escape the community disproval and punishment for her former sex worker status. This is a common trend in the society; most Kyrgyzstani sex slaves who are juvenile girl, upon returning to Kyrgyzstan, are sometimes prosecuted for crossing borders illegally and shunned away by families.

The IOM says that it handles all expenses relevant to the release of Kyrgyzstanis from slavery abroad, ranging from transportation of former slaves to Kyrgyzstan and subsequent psychological rehabilitation and employment. Further more, its efficient programme continue to tackle the problems of sex trafficking. But ultimately, human groups argue, responsibility for tackling the problem lies primarily with the state. 

While the laws and programs are promulgated in the country, there implementation is debatable. The government of to Kyrgyzstan in its fight against trafficking must focus on efficient implementation of laws as well as strengthen effective cooperation with agencies rendering assistance to victim which have very important role to protect victims and to assist in victims’ recovery and reintegration in the society.

Sources:

1. IOM informational campaigns Series of leaflets on counter-trafficking
2. IOM Handbook on Direct Assistance for Victims of Trafficking 2007