Kyrgyz foreign minister rejects migrant intake tied to EU job access

Kyrgyzstan will not negotiate to receive migrants from Afghanistan and Africa in exchange for employment opportunities for its citizens in Europe, Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubayev said on October 14.

Speaking at a parliamentary committee meeting, Kulubayev said European representatives had proposed linking the two issues. In his account, European countries were willing to accept workers from Kyrgyzstan on condition that the republic host third-country migrants currently staying in Europe.

The minister said Bishkek categorically opposed that condition and would not pursue targeted negotiations on that basis. He nevertheless said Kyrgyz citizens could travel independently to European countries for work.

The report did not identify which governments had made the proposal. It presents the minister’s account of a negotiating position. No agreement text, potential migrant numbers or specific employment quotas were provided.