Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Labor, Social Security and Migration has created an internet portal for every Kyrgyz citizen wishing to go to England for agricultural work to take an online questionnaire.
Yesterday the Center for Employment of Citizens Abroad conducted online registration of Kyrgyz citizens, reporting that over 26,000 people were registered on the portal migrant.kg on the first day. Almost 15,000 people passed the first stage of selection, where they answered questions concerning their physical and mental health.
All those who passed the first stage of selection will have to pass an in-person interview held with representatives of the English farms.
Last year’s quota for seasonal workers in England was 8,000. This will increase to 10,000 in 2024. According to the Ministry of Labor, applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 45 years, understand Russian — but not necessarily English — and be in good overall health. The employers in England guarantee Kyrgyz citizens a minimum of 32 hours of work per week and a wage of £10.50 ($13.30) per hour. Successful applicants will have to pay for their visa and flights to and from London themselves.
Seasonal agricultural work in England lasts from April to October-November. Workers go to pick strawberries and raspberries in fields and farms, as well as pick and plant vegetables and fruits. There is also a year-round season for tending to greenhouses, and for packaging the finished products.
Today, in addition to work in Russia — where according to some data about one million citizens of Kyrgyzstan are economic migrants — there are 15 different labor destinations available to Kyrgyz citizens. The website offers information about moving to and working in Europe, the Persian Gulf, and Southeast Asia.
