There was another wave of squatting when the USSR collapsed and people internally migrated to cities such as the capital Bishkek in search of employment.
[1] In the wake of the Tulip Revolution in 2005, the disturbed social order allowed squatters to occupy land, one example being the Ak Jar settlement in the Chuy Region north of Bishkek, where the squatter leaders (Kyrgyz: 'top bashylar') gave plots to their families and then sold other ones to newcomers.
Coupled with weak governance, the lack of affordable housing pushed people into illegal occupation.
Academics argued against the negative perceptions of squatters and NGOs such as Arysh, the Children's Protection Centre and the Red Cross supplied aid.
[7] By 2013, Ak Jar remained an illegal settlement and continued to grow; at that point it covered 120 hectares.