It is necessary to create an emergency fund to support labor migrants during crisis situations. Nuriya Temirova, Chair of the Coordinating Committee Central Asia on the Move, voiced such an initiative at a roundtable discussion dedicated to the International Migrants Day.

She noted that during the introduction of quarantine measures in many countries of the world, labor migrants from Kyrgyzstan found themselves in a difficult situation.

«The hotline of the Trade Union of Migrants received the most complaints in connection with the situation at the border and violation of labor rights. At least 69 percent of calls were from Russia, 22 percent — from Kazakhstan, the rest — from Turkey and the United Arab Emirates,» she said.

According to her, many migrants, left without work, were unable to pay for housing.

«The main problems faced by migrants are the inability to pay for housing — 64 percent, job loss — 45 percent, lack of money for food — 43, problems with law enforcement agencies — 20 percent. The situation has shown that an emergency fund is needed, where migrants can receive financial support in such cases,» Nuriya Temirova says.