Population figures
Total country population
6,839,606
Forcibly displaced population
Refugees (under UNHCR's mandate):
25,746
Asylum-seekers:
2,477
IDPs (of concern to UNHCR):
0
Other people in need of international protection:
0
Other
Statelessness persons
59
Host community
0
Others of concern to UNHCR
0
Country context
Kyrgyzstan, a landlocked country in Central Asia, is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and China to the east. Kyrgyzstan has historically been a host country for refugees, particularly from neighbouring regions experiencing conflict. During the 2010 ethnic violence in southern Kyrgyzstan, a significant number of individuals sought refuge in neighbouring Uzbekistan. In more recent years, the country has also provided asylum to individuals fleeing from Afghanistan and other neighbouring states.
Kyrgyzstan has ratified the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees of 1951 in 2006 but is yet to ratify the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons of 1954 or the United Nations Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, 1961. Kyrgyzstan has a dedicated legal framework for refugees through Law N°44 of 2002 on Refugees, which provides them certain guarantees. There are no formal refugee camps and many refugees reside in urban areas, integrating into local communities, though challenges related to legal status, employment, and access to services persist.
...Kyrgyzstan has made significant strides in addressing statelessness. In 2019, the country was recognised as the first in the world to resolve statelessness, having granted nationality to over 13,700 individuals, including children, through measures such as birth registration and naturalisation processes. This achievement aligns with international commitments to reduce statelessness and ensure the right to a nationality for all individuals. The Constitution guarantees the right to nationality, and the country is a party to various international instruments aimed at protecting refugees and stateless individuals, including prohibiting discrimination to anyone based on “sex, race, language, disability, ethnicity, belief, age, political and other convictions, education, background, proprietary and other status as well as other circumstances”. National laws and policies have been developed to align with these international standards, focusing on the prevention of statelessness, the protection of displaced persons, and the provision of legal pathways to nationality.
Internally displaced persons in Kyrgyzstan primarily result from interethnic conflicts and border disputes. Notably, the 2010 clashes in the Osh and Jalal-Abad regions led to the displacement of thousands of individuals. These IDPs often find shelter with host families or in temporary accommodations, facing difficulties in accessing permanent housing, employment, and education. The mountainous geography complicates the provision of aid and infrastructure development in affected areas.
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