Trafficking a major problem in Uzbekistan

Large scale poverty in Uzbekistan has lead to approximately 600,000 Uzbeks seeking work illegally in Russia and Kazakhstan. With the average monthly wage in the cities at less than US$30 per month and in rural areas US$10, it is not surprising that people are looking for work elsewhere, this does, however, leave them vulnerable to being trafficked into forced labour and prostitution.
Muzaffar Aminov, from the south of Uzbekistan said
“I was sold to a Chechen by Uzbeks. Then he sold me to an Armenian. And each of them wanted their money back. So, I worked for over five months just to get my passport back. And I came back without any money,”
Poverty and corrupt law-enforcement have lead to the increasing power of human trafficking rings. The US Trafficking in Persons report records that the Uzbek government is making strenuous efforts to fight human trafficking, but finds that it lacks the resources to deal with the problem as forcefully as it would like.