Citizens of Uzbekistan working at the "Karima" restaurant in Astana have complained that the administration has not paid them their salaries and has taken their documents. This is far from the first case where the restaurant chain has been accused of labor oppression of migrants. A public figure involved in legal support for labor migrants points to a widespread exploitation scheme that often goes unpunished in Kazakhstan, reports Azattyk Asia.
“Hello, welcome to slavery!” — this was the first phrase that Mavluda Khaitova heard when she came to apply for a job at the "Karima" restaurant in Astana. She arrived in Kazakhstan in search of work.
When she looked at her employer, bewildered, he quickly added that it was a joke.
However, subsequent events confirmed that this was not a joke, but a real tragedy.
The 43-year-old woman struggles to hold back tears as she recounts her experiences.
“If they take your documents and don’t pay you, isn’t that slavery?” — she asks.
Mavluda Khaitova, citizen of Uzbekistan, who worked at the "Karima" restaurant in Astana
“YOUR MOTHER HASN'T DIED YET. SHE WILL DIE — THEN I WILL LET YOU GO”
In January of this year, Mavluda started working as a cold snacks cook, with a promised payment of 10,000 tenge per day (about 20 dollars). She hoped to earn enough money for her mother’s treatment, who remained in Namangan. But after two and a half months, she still could not leave the country.
“Every time I asked for permission to leave, he replied ‘no’. I tried to take my documents back, explaining that I could be deported and then I wouldn’t be able to return. He refused again: ‘You can’t leave while I’m here. The police are in my hands, no one will be deported.’ I agreed to stay a little longer, but then I approached him again asking to leave. And he said: ‘I also have a sick mother. Your mother hasn’t died yet. She will die — then I will let you go,’” Mavluda recounts her conversation with her employer.
She is sure that she is not the only one suffering from the administration's actions.
Shavkat Tursunov, a 50-year-old compatriot of Mavluda, worked at a café baking flatbreads. He shared that his sister had previously worked at "Karima". When she wanted to return home, she was told that someone else had to take her place. His sister turned to him for help.
“At that time, I was working in Tomsk, but I returned home for a short time, and even before I could stay there for a month, I came back here. My sister warned me in advance about the situation, that documents are taken under the pretext of legalization, and they don’t intend to pay on time. If someone expresses a desire to leave, they are threatened: ‘We will hand you over to the police, you will be arrested.’ I came to help my sister,” Shavkat recalls.
In Uzbekistan, he is awaited by his 80-year-old blind father, wife, and children. Before arriving in Astana, he worked in construction in Russia for three years. Now he did not expect to find himself in such a powerless position, working 13 hours a day, with delayed payments.
Shavkat Tursunov, citizen of Uzbekistan, who worked at the "Karima" restaurant in Astana
“On paper, my salary is 12,000 tenge, but in reality, payments are delayed for one and a half to two months. It is very important for us to receive money on time. If they don’t pay and take the passport — that’s wrong. A person has the right to leave whenever they want. There are many like me,” Tursunov shares his experience.
Asadbek Turdaliev also talks about his slave-like situation. He started working at the "Karima" restaurant in October last year, hoping for the administration's promises of free exit home. The 27-year-old Asadbek wanted to save money for his wedding, but after the first two months of work, payments stopped, and his passport was not returned.
“In January, I received money, after long disputes I asked for 200,000 tenge, which they gave me. February and March passed, but they don’t give the salary. I’m not asking for a loan, I’m asking to return what is owed to me,” says Asadbek.
The migrants are convinced that no legalization of their documents took place. They believe the administration took their passports so they could not move freely.
“When inspectors came, our boss hid us in different places in just a few minutes. Only after they left did we return to work,” Asadbek recounts.
“THIS IS EXPLOITATION”
Journalists from Azattyk visited the "Karima" restaurant to meet with its management. However, the representatives of the administration did not come out to meet. In a phone conversation, the restaurant manager, Saparbai Torekulov, denied the allegations from the workers from Uzbekistan.
“They bring their passports to the cash register when the police come. They bring them themselves and take them away themselves, no one has taken their documents. I haven’t held them in my hands. Let them come and take their salaries, no one is putting pressure on them. They have a departure schedule, we bought tickets for the 18th and 1st, made a schedule. They work and leave,” Torekulov stated over the phone.
He claims that the workers receive their money on time and in full, and also denies that migrants are hidden from inspectors during checks.
The "Karima" restaurant in Astana, whose workers reported labor exploitation
The "Karima" restaurant chain has previously faced complaints of labor exploitation. In 2023, several citizens of Uzbekistan reported that they worked longer than agreed and received less than promised. According to them, upon arrival in Kazakhstan, their passports were taken and not returned. Some also reported being beaten and threatened.
Later, Uzbeks, with the help of the public fund "Qorgau," filed a complaint with the police, but, according to the lawyer, the investigation progressed slowly. The police opened a criminal case under the article "Abuse of Power," but after the administration of "Karima" returned the passports and paid the money, the migrants left for their homeland.
Anna Ryl, head of the "Qorgau" fund, believes that cases of human trafficking go unpunished. She notes that the number of such incidents could decrease if cases were investigated as human trafficking rather than abuse of power or violations of migration laws, and if those responsible faced strict penalties.
“Taking a passport is already a sign of human trafficking. If someone profits and forces others to work, that is exploitation. Our migration legislation does not adequately protect the rights of migrants. In our country, the migrant is always to blame. The president speaks about combating human trafficking and violations of labor laws, but such events occur at the grassroots level,” comments Anna Ryl.
The "Qorgau" fund helped citizens of Uzbekistan file a lawsuit against the administration of the "Karima" restaurant chain. Employees of the police department for combating human trafficking, according to Anna Ryl, met with the administration, after which the workers were returned their passports. The administration promised to pay the migrants their money.
According to the country's legislation, when hiring a foreign worker, the employer is obliged to prepare all necessary documents, provide a labor contract, register the worker, and make contributions for them, including health insurance. The state fee for one foreign worker can range from 13,000 to 27,000 tenge. Working without a permit is punishable by deportation and a five-year entry ban.
As of October 2025, there were 185,000 labor migrants registered in Kazakhstan, most of whom work in low-skilled and heavy professions.
On March 17, Azattyk Asia published a video on social media where Uzbeks openly talk about their exploitation at "Karima." The migration agency under the government of Uzbekistan reported that five migrants working in the chain were paid their salaries, including Mavluda, Shavkat, and Asadbek.
The U.S. State Department's report indicates that the government of Kazakhstan does not fully comply with the minimum standards for combating human trafficking, although it does make certain efforts. Despite the adopted National Action Plan for 2024-2026, the authorities do not always conduct investigations into such cases. The State Department recommends Kazakhstan align the definition of human trafficking in the criminal code with international law standards and actively identify victims among vulnerable populations, including foreign citizens, and seek adequate punishment for traffickers.
The record Migrants from Uzbekistan reported exploitation in the restaurant chain of Astana first appeared on K-News.
