The UK and Kyrgyzstan agreed to protect the rights and interests of workers from the Kyrgyz Republic. The Embassy of the United Kingdom in Bishkek reported.
The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) and the Center for Employment of Citizens Abroad under the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Migration of Kyrgyzstan signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
The document will facilitate cooperation between GLAA and the Center for the Protection of the Rights and Interests of citizens of Kyrgyzstan working in the UK.
According to the Memorandum of Understanding, the parties will:
- Exchange information about Kyrgyz workers;
- Share information about the activities of employment agencies to ensure that they do not violate any rules;
- Organize monitoring visits;
- Work on increasing mutual potential;
- Work together to protect citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic from exploitation and abuse.
- The signing ceremony took place in Bishkek on Monday. The document entered into force immediately for two years.
«The memorandum is a logical continuation of our cooperation in the field of labor migration, which has recently been activated. With the increase in the number of Kyrgyz workers arriving in the UK, it is important that their rights and interests are protected. The signed document obliges and allows us to work together to make sure that Kyrgyz workers are not exploited in employment or in working conditions, and if such situations are identified, GLAA and colleagues from the center can help investigate and prevent such situations,» the GLAA representative Darryl Dixon said.
About 1,500 citizens of Kyrgyzstan were employed in the UK in 2022 under the seasonal work program, more than 5,000 will arrive in 2023.
