Safiq* left his home in Pakistan for work abroad, with the goal for upward stability in life. Like many, he made the familiar calculation that the sacrifices of distance and uncertainty would translate into something better for his family, over time.
But that path took an unexpected turn: while working in Kyrgyzstan, Safiq found himself stranded and unable to leave his employer or arrange his return home. His employer had refused to let him go; and the situation escalated when he was threatened with serious harm if he contacted local authorities.
Unsure where else to turn, he reached out to Shahzia, Senior Counsellor at ICMPD’s Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) Pakistan in Lahore in late-February 2026, to share his precise location and asked for assistance. He had been referred by a fellow migrant, whose own salary dispute was resolved with support from both the MRC in Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan.
His decision to contact the MRC in Lahore set off a chain of events. Shahzia contacted Raushan, PROTECT Project Officer at the MRC Kyrgyzstan in Osh. Message by message, Shahzia translated Safiq's account from Urdu into English and explained the situation. Raushan then contacted the Kyrgyz Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Migration in Bishkek, which directed her to a hotline of the local police station in Ak-Talaa district.
Shahzia then shared Safiq's GPS coordinates and remained on the line, translating in real-time and ensuring authorities fully understood his circumstances. That same day, police arrived at the location and safely removed Safiq from the premises. A criminal case was opened immediately. In March 2026, Safiq was on a flight home safely.
Throughout the operation, the Embassy of Pakistan in Bishkek was kept informed and remained engaged, helping facilitate the practical steps that turned a successful rescue operation into a return.
The complex response required coordination among different institutions and multiple languages, over a thousand kilometres across continents. Yet Safiq's case went beyond information and counselling; it became a real-world example that highlights the strength of the MRC network's cross-border cooperation, and its thrust of protecting migrants.
To this day, the MRC in Pakistan continues to support efforts to resolve his salary dispute with his former employer in Kyrgyzstan; alongside those of six other migrants from the same company.
The MRCs are multi-purpose service points for migrants, returnees, and communities. Since its first launch in 2016, ICMPD now has a global network of 14 MRCs across Afghanistan (virtual), Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Over the past ten years, MRCs have supported thousands of migrants with information, guidance and assistance at every stage of their journey, becoming trusted points of support along the way. The MRCs’ growth in the last decade – both in geographic scope and in the work being done on the ground – is a testament to how it has attuned to the growing challenges that migrants face in the world where cross-border crimes have also rapidly evolved and increased.
Safiq's case is one among many, yet it reflects the real, human purpose of the network: ensuring that migrants facing uncertainty do not have to face it alone.
* Name changed to protect the identity of the survivor.