This study gathered evidence on the migration dynamics, COVID-19 impacts, and livelihood situation of host communities, returnees, and stranded migrants living in Kyrgyzstan. The country office of IOM in Kyrgyzstan surveyed 885 returned migrants. Survey was conducted in Bishkek and Osh cities in December 2020 by using the IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) methodology. Data was gathered on returned migrants to provide critical information for humanitarian actors and the government on their location and needs to deliver services and respond to needs in a timely manner.

The DTM is a system to track and monitor displacement and population mobility. It is designed to regularly and systematically capture, process and disseminate information to provide a better understanding of the movements and evolving needs of displaced populations, whether on site or en route. The DTM plays an essential role in providing primary data and information on displacement, both in country, at regional and global levels. IOM utilizes the DTM to gain in-depth knowledge on the development of the migration processes.

The survey was conducted within a regional initiative “Mitigating Socioeconomic Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Migrants and Communities in Central Asia and the Russian Federation” supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).