Uzbekistan and Russia address migrant protection and bilateral cooperation

On May 2, Bobur Usmonov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, held a meeting with Oleg Malginov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Uzbekistan. The Uzbek Foreign Ministry’s press service provided details about the discussion.

During the negotiations, Uzbekistan raised concerns about the increasing reports of labor migrants from Uzbekistan facing rights violations and mistreatment in Russia. Uzbek officials emphasized that such incidents constitute a violation of the rights and freedoms of Uzbek citizens working in Russia. They stressed that these rights must be protected under the laws of the host country.

The Uzbek side highlighted the importance of thoroughly investigating these cases and urged Russian authorities to convey Uzbekistan’s concerns to the relevant Russian institutions.

In addition to addressing the migrant issue, the two parties discussed key agenda topics and agreed on a schedule for upcoming high-level events in the framework of bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

"Uzbekistan and Russia maintain strong cooperation on consular and legal matters, holding annual consultations on consular issues. A bilateral working group on migration policy meets regularly each month to organize and regulate the employment of Uzbek citizens in Russia," the report states.

After the meeting, both parties agreed to continue close cooperation to ensure the protection of the rights and freedoms of Uzbek and Russian citizens in each other’s territories.

Earlier, a controversial incident in Moscow’s “Bodrost” bathhouse sparked outrage after Russia’s special mobile unit (OMON) conducted a raid targeting migrants, forcing them to crawl on the floor while partially unclothed. Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs later stated that the inspection was routine and was not directed at any particular nationality.

On April 14, Almaz Imangaziyev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, met with Sergey Vakunov, Russia’s ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, to address allegations of Kyrgyz citizens being mistreated abroad. The Kyrgyz ministry called for an investigation into the incident, demanding that Moscow’s law enforcement agencies take appropriate action against those responsible if excessive force was used. A formal diplomatic note was submitted as part of the protest.

On April 15, Uzbek lawmakers sent an official parliamentary inquiry to Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, requesting that the Uzbek government take steps to protect the rights and legal interests of its citizens abroad.

Shortly after, another disturbing case emerged from a Moscow café, where security forces allegedly carried out violent beatings against migrant workers, fueling further concerns over human rights violations.