Evolution of Migration Legislation in the Kyrgyz Republic: Regulatory Framework and Integration within the EAEU

The article provides a systematic analysis of the stages in the development of the migration legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic from the attainment of independence to the present day. Based on historical-legal and comparative-legal methods, three key stages in the evolution of migration policy are identified: the formation of the legal framework in the 1990s, institutional strengthening during 2000–2010, and the contemporary stage of digitalization and integration with international standards after 2010. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the proposed three-stage periodization, which is based on the transformation of the dominant functions of legal regulation – from constitutive to protective-institutional and subsequently to integrationstrategic. Particular attention is paid to the impact of Kyrgyzstan’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union in 2015 on migration regulation. The study demonstrates that the number of Kyrgyz labor migrants in Russia increased from approximately 400,000 to more than 1 million people, while remittance inflows reached USD 3.5 billion, accounting for about 15% of the country’s GDP. At the same time, unresolved legal issues are identified: a significant proportion of migrants remain deprived of social guarantees, and more than 83,000 citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic face the risk of entry bans to Russia, indicating a gap between formally declared rights and their practical implementation. The analysis of support mechanisms for compatriots abroad, interagency cooperation, and strategic policy documents reveals the role of migration legislation as an important instrument of national security and the socioeconomic development of the country. Further improvement of migration policy requires not so much the adoption of new regulations as ensuring strict compliance with existing norms and the development of legal support institutions for Kyrgyz citizens abroad.

1. Davydenko E.V. Labour Migration in the Eurasian Economic Union: Problems, Challenges and Solutions. Ekonomicheskie otnosheniya [Journal of International Economic Affairs]. 2025; 15(1):157–168 [In Russian]. https://doi.org/10.18334/eo.15.1.122449.

2. Karabchuk T.S., Kostenko V.V., Zelikova Yu.A. [et al.]. Labour Migration and Labour-Intensive Industries in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan: Opportunities for Human Development in Central Asia: Report. Centre for Integration Studies, Eurasian Development Bank. Saint Petersburg: EBR [EDB], 2015 [In Russian]. Available from: https://eabr.org/upload/iblock/0b9/report_ca_labour_migration_and_labour_intensive_sectors_full_rus.pdf.

3. Mukomel V.I. Migration Policy of Russia: Post-Soviet Contexts. Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Moscow: Dipol’-T [Dipol-T], 2005. 351 p. [In Russian]. ISBN: 5-901144-15-5.

4. Nuraliev N. A. Political Aspects and Features of Migration Processes in the Kyrgyz Republic: Current Trends and Challenges. Rossiya i mir: nauchnyj dialog [Russia & World: Sc.Dialogue]. 2025; 3(18):238–257 [In Russian]. https://doi.org/10.53658/RW2025-4-3(17)-238-257.

5. Post-Soviet Transformations: Reflections in Migrations. Ed. by Zh.A.Zayonchkovskaya, G.S.Vitkovskaya. Moscow: Adamant” [AdamantX], 2009. 412 p. [In Russian].

6. Ryazantsev S.V. Labour Migration in the CIS and Baltic Countries: Trends, Consequences, Regulation. Moscow: Formula prava [Formula Prava], 2007. 584 p. [In Russian]. ISBN: 978-5-8467-0049-9.

7. Migration Situation Report: January–December 2024. International Organization for Migration. Bishkek: МОМ [IOM], 2025:20 [In Russian]. Available from: https://kyrgyzstan.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl1321/files/documents/2025-08/01.-migration-situation-report_2024_rus_final.pdf.