Kyrgyzstan filed a lawsuit against Russia over the treatment of Kyrgyz migrants by the authorities

Kyrgyzstan has filed a lawsuit against Russia in the court of the Eurasian Economic Union. This was reported by the head of the Mandatory Health Insurance Fund of Kyrgyzstan, Azamat Mukhanov.

The lawsuit was prompted by refusals to issue health insurance policies to the family members of Kyrgyz labor migrants. Mukhanov stated that the Russian side is thereby violating Articles 96-97 of the EAEU Treaty, which regulate the labor activities of citizens of the member states within the union.

Mukhanov emphasized that according to the agreement, health insurance policies should be issued for both the migrants themselves and for the family members of those working in the EAEU member countries, namely Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.

A health insurance policy is a document that guarantees citizens of Russia, as well as citizens of EAEU member states, free medical assistance in state institutions throughout the country.

Mukhanov also noted that the issue of health insurance policies was raised during the visit to Kyrgyzstan by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk.

According to Kaktus.media, the court session already took place last week, and a decision on Kyrgyzstan’s lawsuit will be made in two weeks.

Experts believe that Kyrgyzstan’s lawsuit calls into question Russia’s actual fulfillment of its obligations within the EAEU. They state that in practice, even citizens of the member states and their families, despite formal membership, are often deprived of rights guaranteed by international agreements. This, according to experts, indicates a frequently humiliating attitude towards labor migrants.

In this context, experts raise the question: if the main argument for supporters of Tajikistan’s accession to the EAEU is to improve the situation of labor migrants, but the union itself is unable to effectively address such issues, then what is its real benefit for Tajikistan?