Aygul, a mother of three from Kyrgyzstan, is one of hundreds of Central Asian families returning home after struggling to enroll their children in Russian schools. Late last year, she and her husband moved into a one-room apartment in Bishkek, bringing their children with them.

We are starting migrant life again, learning, adapting, exploringfiguring out what exists, where, who is there, what can be done," Aygul said. "There were difficulties, but we managed to get my child into school. We were without work for five months, but now, thank God, my husband is employed."

Her familys return was largely driven bynew Russian rulesrequiring migrant children to pass a Russian-language test in order to attend school and for parents to prove legal registration.

Many children who met these requirements were still denied enrollment. Another mother from Kyrgyzstan described taking her daughters to school in Russia after one had passed the required exam.

"We bought clothes and everything needed. I bought flowers," she said. "My husband and I took them to school. They wouldnt even let us through the gate. 'No space,' they said. My daughters just stood there silently. We understood it wasnt our country."

Thousands Left Without Classrooms

Even before the new law, migrant children faced difficulties attending school.

Rahat Sheraly, a Kyrgyz activist, said some children in Russia have been out of school for two to three years.

"Even if a child meets all the legal requirements, schools often refuse enrollment," he said. "This is primarily discrimination and xenophobia. Some schools limit the number of foreign students per class. This is a severe human rights violation.

Other human rights groups have also sharply criticized the mandatory Russian-language test, describing it as part of a broader Kremlin crackdown on migrants amidrising xenophobia.

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A recent Human Rights Watch report highlighted that by weaponizing language proficiency as an exclusionary mechanism to deny migrant children access to education, Russian authorities are also depriving these children of the economic and health benefits that education provides.

Kyrgyzstan's Tunguch online school, launched in March 2025, is helping some. Initially designed for children in Kyrgyzstan who were unable to attend classrooms in person, it now serves those affected by Russias new language and registration rules.

Currently, 884 children are enrolled from Russia and are studying with us online. We are monitoring them here, said Tunguch's director, Aisuluu Zhamangulova.

In Kyrgyzstan, authorities have not released official figures on how many children returned after failing Russias mandatory language test. Estimates suggest that the total number of children affected is far higher than the 884 enrolled in Tunguch, highlighting the scale of the education gap that still needs to be addressed.

Regional Impact

In September 2025, Russian education authorities reported that only about 19 percent of migrant children who met the documentation and testing requirements were able to enroll in Russian public schools, meaning more than 80 percent were unable to start school under the new rules.

Most families come from the three largest Central Asian communities in Russia: an estimated 1.7 million Uzbeks, 1.2 million Tajiks, and roughly 300,000 Kyrgyz citizens.

Across Central Asia, the impact varies: some governments track returning children closely, while others provide little public data or support.

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In Tajikistan, officials confirmed that over 9,000 children returned after being excluded from Russian schools, creating not only educational gaps but also broader social challenges.

Speaking at a press conference last week, Suhaili Qodiri, head of the child protection department at the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman in Tajikistan, said the data his office is receiving is very alarming.

In all our contacts with the Russian side, we remind them of this states obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child," he said. "Another issue that remains beyond control here is the separation of children from their families. Unfortunately, children who are not enrolled in education there are more likely to return to this country. Accordingly, the likelihood of parents also returning increases. Due to the lack of employment, certain social problems arise.

In Uzbekistan, there is little public discussion about excluded children.

There is no information or public discussion about children who have been expelled from Russian schools.," said education expert Komiljon Jalilov. "One possible reason is that the government does not want to raise a topic that could trigger controversy in society regarding Russia.

Some educators and activists in Uzbekistan have proposed an online platform, similar to that running in Kyrgyzstan, which would allow children abroad to continue learning virtually. But the initiative has not received official support.

Locked Out Of School: Russia's Rules Push Migrant Families Home

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