The research clarifies the issue of smuggling of migrants, distinguishes it from trafficking in persons and irregular migration and elaborates on its link to human rights. General trends and patterns of smuggling of migrants are analyzed before addressing the issue in Central Asian context. The report is divided into three country sections that provide a comprehensive guide through the migration context, legislation, smuggling routes, its organization, fees and profile of smuggled migrants. Each country specific chapter includes a list of recommendations from national migration authorities and local NGOs, gathered by local researchers in the course of interviews with relevant actors. At the end of the report there are recommendations from IOM on countering smuggling of migrants and recommendations obtained from the regional state-civic roundtable on smuggling of migrants in Almaty in March 2006 carried out under the CAPG framework.

The report is available free-of-charge in print copy from the IOM TCC office, and can be downloaded in English or in Russian as a PDF file from the IOM TCC website. To request a print copy of the report, contact IOM TCC: infotccvienna@iom.int or 43 (1) 585 33 22 24.