Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov has urged citizens working abroad to return home, saying jobs are available and the government is building housing to help address the needs of returning migrants.
Japarov made the remarks during a meeting with residents of Batken region, according to the Kyrgyz news outlet Kaktus.media.
The president said the number of Kyrgyz citizens working abroad had recently declined, although labor migration continued.
“We constantly call on migrants to return: come back, there are jobs. They ask what they will do if they return, saying they allegedly don’t even have a home. That is exactly why we are building flats through the State Mortgage Company,” Japarov said.
He also urged residents whose children work abroad to encourage them to return, arguing that a lack of employment opportunities at home should no longer be a reason to leave the country.
Authorities promise investment in Batken
Speaking to residents of Kadamjai district and the city of Kyzyl-Kiya, Japarov described Batken region as strategically important for Kyrgyzstan.
He said infrastructure projects were underway, including road construction, the building of schools and kindergartens, hospital renovations, improvements to drinking water supplies and the construction of sports facilities.
The government also plans to expand production and develop agriculture, food processing, trade and tourism in the region.
What salaries are available in Kyrgyzstan?
Kyrgyz officials have previously encouraged citizens working abroad to return, citing growing employment opportunities and rising wages.
In July 2026, Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubayev said the country needed qualified specialists for railway and hydropower projects, according to the Fergana news agency.
He said excavator operators and tractor drivers could earn between 80,000 and 90,000 soms a month, equivalent to approximately $1,000.
Kulubayev also pointed to the potential benefits of working at home, including safer working conditions and access to mortgage financing.
How many Kyrgyz citizens work abroad?
According to Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Labor, Social Security and Migration, 736,600 Kyrgyz citizens were working abroad at the beginning of 2026, down from 798,400 in 2025.
Russia remains the main destination for Kyrgyz labor migrants. In March, more than 472,000 Kyrgyz citizens were working there. Other destinations included Kazakhstan, with around 70,000; the United States, with 60,000; Turkey, with 35,000; and Germany, with 20,000.
In 2025, Kyrgyz labor migrants transferred $3.1 billion to their home country.