Quarterly Report: Safe Migration in Central Asia October 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021

The region includes five countries: Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. These countries have been working to strengthen bilateral and multi-country strategies to promote rights-based migration and counter trafficking in persons. Regional approaches to combating trafficking in persons (TIP) and labor migration are being coordinated and cohesive among source and destination countries. Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Turkmenistan have been working to improve the collection, availability, and use of data and evidence around TIP and CTIP. This includes enhancing the collection of data on TIP cases, improving the availability of data on labor migration, and increasing the use of data to inform policy and programming decisions. The Kyrgyz Republic has been a focus of efforts to reduce the vulnerability of at-risk populations to all forms of TIP. The country has been working to provide information, services, and skills to safeguard the rights of at-risk populations, including women, children, and migrant workers. This includes providing training and education programs, as well as providing access to social services and economic opportunities. Safe migration frameworks are being enhanced and enforced in the region. Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Turkmenistan have been working to improve the safety and security of migrants, including by strengthening border controls and improving the availability of information on safe migration practices. The Kyrgyz Republic has also been working to improve the availability of victim services, including counseling, medical care, and economic assistance. The region has also been working to improve the prosecution of TIP cases. The Kyrgyz Republic has been strengthening the capacity of criminal justice actors to identify and process TIP cases, as well as enhancing coordination and cooperation in investigation and prosecution of TIP cases. The country has also been working to increase TIP victims' access to justice and redress. Country-specific efforts to combat TIP and promote rights-based migration are also underway. Kazakhstan has been working to improve the collection and use of data on TIP cases, as well as enhancing the availability of victim services. The Kyrgyz Republic has been working to strengthen the capacity of criminal justice actors to identify and process TIP cases, as well as enhancing coordination and cooperation in investigation and prosecution of TIP cases. Turkmenistan has been working to improve the availability of information on safe migration practices, as well as enhancing the safety and security of migrants. Regional efforts to combat TIP and promote rights-based migration are also underway. The region has been working to enhance complimentarity, sustainability, and gender equity in programming efforts. This includes working to ensure that programming efforts are coordinated and complementary, as well as working to ensure that programming efforts are sustainable and equitable. The region has also been working to engage youth in programming efforts, including through the provision of training and education programs. Government partner dynamics, finance and expenditures, management and operations, and future directions and upcoming activities are also being addressed in the region. The region has been working to strengthen government partner dynamics, including through the provision of training and technical assistance. The region has also been working to improve the management and operations of programming efforts, including through the provision of financial management and procurement training.