The Mugats of Kyrgyzstan: Resistance amid adversity

In Central Asia, the Mugat community remains one of the most marginalized and vulnerable ethnic groups. The community bears resemblances to Roma in their historic origin from northern India and their traditionally nomadic lifestyle, though whether the two groups are actually related is unclear. Mugats practise Sunni Islam and speak a Persian language. They are often known as Roma, and other names for this community include Lyuli, Jughi, Multani, Bombay or Luli, though Mugat is how they refer to themselves. Their situation emphasizes the intersection of minority rights and climate justice in Kyrgyzstan.

In Kyrgyzstan, Mugats predominantly live in the southern city of Osh. Without reliable statistics on their population, it is estimated that there were more than 9,000 Mugat in Osh as of 2019. Today, their struggles persist, compounded by the impacts of climate change and systemic exclusion. Alarmingly, approximately 60 per cent of Mugats in Kyrgyzstan in lack official identification, and 30 per cent of their children do not possess birth certificates, leaving them without access to essential services.

Mugat Children playing on a car ruined by floods in the Jany Kyshtak neighborhood of Osh. November 2024.

Marginalization and Daily Struggles

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, Mugats faced systematic discrimination and exclusion from healthcare, education, clean water, sanitation, and food security. Their precarious living conditions worsened during the pandemic as lockdowns disrupted their primary means of livelihood — begging and sorting garbage in the city’s dumpsters. For Mugat women and girls, these vulnerabilities are heightened by early marriages, limited access to education, and entrenched gender inequalities.

Destruction after the July 2024 floods.

Their general inability to speak Kyrgyz or Russian fluently exacerbates their isolation, leaving them without a voice in local decision-making processes. Local governments often face challenges in adequately addressing the needs of the Mugat community,resulting in limited support for their education, access to social services, and provision of essential civil documentation such as birth and marriage certificates. This neglect perpetuates cycles of poverty and vulnerability.

The Hidden Impacts of Climate Change

As climate change intensifies, Mugats face new challenges that threaten their already fragile existence. Rising temperatures, erratic weather patterns, and resource scarcity disproportionately affect marginalized groups like Mugats, who lack the resources to adapt. Water shortages and food insecurity are particularly devastating for a community already struggling to meet basic needs. Yet, climate adaptation policies rarely account for their unique vulnerabilities.

 A Mugat home in the Jany Kyshtak neighborhood of Osh, located near the river, which was impacted by the floods.

In July 2024, a devastating flood swept through Osh, Kyrgyzstan, displacing hundreds of families and highlighting the systemic vulnerabilities faced by minority communities. Among the hardest hit were the Mugats, whose precarious living conditions placed them directly in the path of the disaster. Over 19 Mugat families lost their homes, and many were left with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Destruction of Mugat houses after the July 2024 floods.

The flood exacerbated the effects of a long history of discrimination and economic marginalization. Their homes, often located in high-risk areas near rivers, were swept away or rendered uninhabitable. Offers of relocation by city authorities to a new settlement in Keng-Say were met with hesitation. Many families voiced concerns about being displaced from their established community in Jany-Kyshtak, citing cultural and economic reasons for wanting to stay​ in their community.

In the aftermath, the community struggled to secure basic necessities. Emergency shelters provided temporary relief, but long-term recovery plans remain uncertain. Access to education, healthcare, and stable employment — already limited before the disaster — became even more precarious. Women and children, particularly vulnerable to exploitation in such crises, bore the brunt of the suffering.

Mugat women with children cleaning the outside of their homes, Jany Kyshtak. November 2024.

Despite these challenges, the Mugats showed remarkable resilience. Community leaders have worked tirelessly to advocate for fair resettlement and support. Humanitarian organizations, both local and international, stepped in to provide food, clothing, and medical aid, but much more remains to be done to ensure a sustainable recovery.

The plight of the Mugats in Osh province underscores the importance of integrating minority communities into disaster preparedness and recovery planning. It serves as a call to action for governments and NGOs to prioritize inclusive policies that address the unique needs of marginalized groups, ensuring no one is left behind in times of crisis.

The Double Burden of Stigma

Stigmatization compounds the hardships faced by Mugats, manifesting as both public stigma — negative attitudes and discrimination from society — and self-stigma, where individuals internalize this prejudice. For girls, this dual stigma creates significant barriers to education and personal development. Poverty and cultural norms restrict their access to schooling, while societal and self-imposed stigmas erode their confidence and aspirations. However, some individuals within the Mugat community resist these narratives, demonstrating resilience and serving as potential agents of positive change. Understanding and addressing these stigmas is crucial to help Mugats resist the challenges they face in society.

View of a Mugat home in Osh abandoned after floods.

Building Pathways for Change

To break these cycles of discrimination and marginalization, targeted interventions are needed to protect Mugat rights and enhance their resilience to climate change. Ensuring every Mugat individual has proper identification is a foundational step toward inclusion. Birth and marriage registration drives, coupled with advocacy for legal reforms, can bridge the gap in access to social services.

Ensuring access to quality education for Mugat girls is pivotal to achieve gender justice and break the cycles of poverty that affect all Mugats. This includes advocating for families to support their daughters’ aspirations and creating programs that address language barriers and gender-based disparities. Empowering Mugat women and girls to overcome stigma and embrace education is not just a moral imperative but a pathway to unlocking their potential as agents of change under changing climate developments.

Strategies to raise awareness about the contributions of Mugats to society and the challenges they face must be implemented to reduce public stigma. Concurrently, empowering Mugat individuals to challenge self-stigma through education, skill-building, and community support can foster greater self-reliance. As we look forward to a future increasingly ravaged by climate crisis, integrating Mugats into climate adaptation strategies is also essential. Local governments and NGOs must collaborate with Mugat leaders to develop water management systems, climate-resilient agricultural practices, and disaster preparedness plans tailored to their needs.

Featured image: Daily life for Mugats in Jany-Kyshtak.