OSCE Office boosts capacity of local migration services in south Kyrgyzstan

OSH, Kyrgyzstan, 20 March 2007 - Kyrgyz migration policies and legislation are the focus of OSCE-supported training courses for local officials and representatives of law enforcement bodies that are being held in Osh, Jalalabat and Batken provinces this month.

"In light of the recent reorganization of the migration services and the adoption of new legislation, we believe it is important to support the State Committee on Migration and Employment to strengthen its new structures at local levels," said Jerome Bouyjou, the Head of the OSCE Field Office in Osh.

"I hope these courses will help develop the capacity to address current migration issues, and protect the rights of migrants."

Mrs. Gulaida Orozalieva, of the State Committee on Migration and Employment, added: "Since 2005, when our Committee was established, we have been closely co-operating with the OSCE Centre in Bishkek to address migration problems and fight trafficking in human beings. These training courses are very timely, since potential migrants from the south of Kyrgyzstan tend to leave in spring time. Our staff at local levels will work to further assist migrants who come to our country, as well as Kyrgyz citizens who seek employment abroad."

The training courses are being conducted as part of an OSCE-funded project "Building the capacity of the state Committee for migration and employment at provincial and district levels in the south of Kyrgyzstan". A manual on migration procedures for local migration services will also be prepared under this project.

More training will be offered in June. It will focus on the growing seasonal migration phenomenon in the south of Kyrgyzstan.