Protect Yourself, Know Your Rights

Empowering Vulnerable Migrants Trapped by the COVID-19 Pandemic

“I was beaten just for asking to be paid for work that I had rightfully earned. It was very humiliating,” said Ikram (name changed), a migrant from Uzbekistan working in Kazakhstan, when he contacted the Kazakhstani NGO Legal Center for Women’s Initiatives Sana Sezim for help.

Ikram was originally recruited to work as a construction worker in Shymkent in southern Kazakhstan. However, when the city went into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, construction work came to a complete stop. The borders were closed and Ikram was stuck in Shymkent with no work.

“According to data from the Shymkent Migration Service, more than 18,000 registered and many more undocumented migrants found themselves in an extremely dire situation during the outbreak of the pandemic,” explained Shakhnoza Khasanova, Director of Sana Sezim.

One of Ikram’s former colleagues, Shavkat (name changed), offered him renovation work for $50 per week. Shavkat took Ikram’s passport, promising to renew his registration, explaining that it was more complicated due to the quarantine restrictions. 

But after three months of work without pay, Ikram grew suspicious. The promise to pay by Shavkat never materialized.

Since food and accommodation were provided, initially Ikram didn’t worry much and hoped that he would be paid a lump sum at a later date.

When Ikram finally demanded his wages and passport one day, Shavkat and two other men beat him and threatened to report him to the police. Ikram feared his residency in Shymkent could be at risk.

Ikram managed to escape from his abusers and was offered accommodation by one of his Uzbek friends. His family in Uzbekistan found Sana Sezim’s contact information online and shared it with him.

“When he came to our office, Ikram’s face was covered in bruises and he had wounds all over,” recalls NGO lawyer, Bekhzod Tulayev. The consultation with Sana Sezim opened Ikram’s eyes about labor and workers' employment rights and employers' legal obligations about payment and working conditions.

Ikram decided to file a legal case against his abuser. A subsequent investigation revealed that the construction site owner was paying everyone for their work through Shavkat, their supervisor, but was unaware that Shavkat had not been disbursing payments to the workers. Ikram learned like him, none of his colleagues got paid.

Most of his unpaid colleagues also consulted with Sana Sezim but as soon as their passports were retrieved, they chose to return to Uzbekistan without filing a case.

Unfortunately, Ikram’s case against Shavkat was closed due to lack of evidence. Like his fellow unpaid migrants, Ikram stopped pursuing the case when his passport was returned to him. Ikram never got paid for those three months that he had worked for Shavkat.

Ikram's story is not unique. He is one of thousands of Central Asian migrants receiving assistance through the USAID Safe Migration in Central Asia activity, implemented by Winrock International. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a humanitarian and financial crisis for millions of migrants in Central Asia, many of whom have been stranded in transit and destination countries across Central Asia. The sudden loss of jobs left migrants vulnerable to human trafficking and violation of their rights.  

The USAID Safe Migration in Central Asia activity partners with NGOs like Sana Sezim to provide migrants and trafficked individuals legal and psychological support in Shymkent and the Turkestan region in Kazakhstan. “Lack of awareness of legal rights makes people vulnerable to human traffickers,” says Bekhzod.

Ikram has now learned never to give away his documents to anyone. He is currently working in Shymkent but plans to return to Uzbekistan soon.

“When an immigrant hands in their documents to someone, it’s like they are handing over their destiny. In our conversations with them we try to deliver one message: you can protect yourself if you understand your rights. Knowing your rights is empowering and after our consultations, most migrants feel empowered,” says an optimistic Bekhzod.

ABOUT THIS STORY

Through the Safe Migration in Central Asia activity and its local NGO partners, USAID is delivering much-needed assistance including informational resources; referrals to essential services; alternative livelihoods support; and skills training to help migrants navigate the difficult situation they are facing. USAID is also ensuring that migrants’ rights are protected through access to legal and psychological support. More information is available on USAID Central Asia’s website: https://www.usaid.gov/central-asia-regional/fact-sheets/safe-migration-….