Consultant to Develop a Capacity-Building Training Module on Strengthening MIA Operations Amid Digitalization and Countering Online Employment Fraud

Kazakhstan is undergoing rapid digital transformation across its economy, public services, and financial systems. While this digitalization brings opportunities, it also exposes institutional gaps in the capacity of law enforcement bodies to respond to emerging cyber threats. The President’s address of 8 September 2025 highlighted that, alongside the benefits, widespread digitalization has created serious risks — with online fraud now among the most pressing threats to the financial security of citizens and the state.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) is on the frontline of this challenge. Its current operational procedures were largely designed for traditional crime contexts and have not fully adapted to the realities of a digital environment. Limited digital investigation skills, lack of real-time data systems, and fragmented inter-agency coordination constrain effective responses. These gaps are particularly visible in the area of online recruitment scams, which exploit growing demand for overseas work. Such scams, often transnational and technology-enabled, target citizens seeking employment in the UK and other destinations, leading to financial losses, indebtedness, irregular status abroad, and risks of trafficking and sexual exploitation — especially among women and youth.

Within the framework of IOM’s “Safe Migration of Seasonal Workers from Central Asia to the UK” project, MIA has expressed interest in building its institutional capacity to keep pace with digitalization, integrate cyber-competencies into its operational procedures, and better prevent, detect, and investigate online fraud schemes related to labour migration.

LMD, Safe Migration of Seasonal Workers from Central Asia to the UK/KG10P0554