Labor Migration - The Times Of Central Asia

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Labor Migration

Belarus Plans to Recruit 5,000 More Workers From Uzbekistan as Labor Partnership Expands

Belarus plans to recruit another 5,000 workers from Uzbekistan’s Andijan Region, significantly expanding a labor migration program that has become one of the most visible outcomes of the growing partnership between the two countries. The announcement was made by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during a working visit to the Orsha district of the Vitebsk Region on July 14. Speaking alongside Andijan regional governor Shukhrat Abdurakhmanov, Lukashenko said the additional workers would begin arriving in groups of 500 from September 2026. The new recruitment drive follows agreements reached during Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s official visit to Belarus earlier this month, when the two countries elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership and pledged to deepen cooperation across multiple sectors, including labor migration. During his visit to Vitebsk, Lukashenko described the project as beneficial for both sides. “I promised the President that we would do this. It is beneficial for us,” he said. “This will help develop the Vitebsk Region.” He also sought to reassure future workers that they would receive the same treatment as local residents. “When they come here, they must know that they are not strangers to us,” Lukashenko said. “Everything we build will be for people for Uzbeks and Belarusians alike. There will be no difference. Your children will attend kindergartens and schools under the same conditions as Belarusian children. The only thing is that they should work.” According to Belarusian officials, Uzbek citizens will work in agriculture and construction. They will also work in industry and the service sector, while some will take junior medical roles. Authorities said the first group of 255 workers had already arrived and been assigned to workplaces across the region. The partnership extends well beyond employment. Belarus plans to provide the Uzbek side with 10 cattle-fattening facilities across seven districts together with 8,000 hectares of agricultural land. The meat produced there is expected to be exported to Uzbekistan. Another 2,000 hectares in the Beshenkovichi district will be allocated to Uzbek partners for potato cultivation, while Belarus will provide seed potatoes and technical support, including agricultural expertise. Officials are also discussing projects in wood processing, including a modern timber-processing plant backed by Uzbek investment and a facility producing pellets for export to Uzbekistan. Lukashenko said implementation should begin without delay. “We should start doing it without postponing,” he said. Plans also include establishing an Uzbek construction trust staffed by Uzbek workers to build and maintain Uzbekistan’s facilities in Belarus. An Uzbek trade house has already opened in Vitebsk, while premises have been selected for an Uzbek restaurant. Belarusian authorities also intend to transfer a former boarding school in Bahushewsk that will be converted into a recreation center for Uzbek citizens. On the Uzbek side, the Migration Agency reported that more than 250 residents of Andijan Region recently flew to Belarus on a charter flight to work temporarily in agriculture and livestock farming. The agency said the project is being implemented under a simplified procedure based on a trilateral agreement involving the Andijan regional government, the...

Labor Migration

Nearly 160,000 Citizens of Tajikistan Listed in Russia’s Controlled Persons Register

Nearly 160,000 citizens of Tajikistan, including about 25,000 minors, have been listed in Russia’s register of controlled persons, a senior official from Tajikistan’s migration service said. The figure reflects the impact of tighter Russian migration rules on one of Central Asia’s largest sources of migrant labor. Sharif Norzoda, Tajikistan’s deputy minister of labor, migration, and employment, said around 160,000 citizens of Tajikistan are currently listed in the register, with children included because they accompanied family members who had moved to Russia. The register, maintained by Russia’s Interior Ministry, is updated every four hours and contains information on foreign nationals who no longer have legal grounds to remain in the country. Individuals included in the database are required to regularize their legal status in Russia. Norzoda said more than 15,000 citizens of Tajikistan had sought assistance from the country’s migration service during the reporting period. The ministry also said 3,953 Tajik citizens facing temporary bans on entering Russia were advised against unnecessary travel after consulting migration authorities, helping them avoid being turned back at the border. According to the ministry, more than 10,700 labor migrants who returned from Russia have already found employment in Tajikistan. Russia introduced the register of controlled persons on February 5, 2025, to tighten migration enforcement. The database is accessible through the Russian Interior Ministry’s website and the government’s online services portal. It is intended to monitor foreign citizens whose legal right to stay in Russia has expired. The tighter migration regime has prompted Tajikistan to diversify destinations for its migrant workers. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the government has expanded labor migration initiatives beyond Russia, seeking new employment opportunities in Europe and East Asia.

Strategic Partnership

Uzbekistan and Belarus Establish Strategic Partnership in Minsk

Uzbekistan and Belarus have established a strategic partnership following President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's official visit to Minsk, where the two governments signed a broad package of economic, labor, scientific, and cultural agreements. According to the Uzbek presidential press service, Mirziyoyev visited Minsk on July 8-9 at the invitation of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. He was welcomed with an official ceremony at the Palace of Independence before the two leaders held both one-on-one and expanded talks with their delegations. The visit marked a notable milestone in a relationship that has expanded steadily in recent years. Diplomatic relations between Uzbekistan and Belarus were established on January 21, 1993, but Uzbekistan opened its first embassy in Minsk only in March 2018. Before that, the Uzbek Embassy in Russia also covered Belarus. The relationship is developing while Belarus remains under extensive European Union sanctions over human rights abuses and its support for Russia's war against Ukraine. Speaking after the talks, Mirziyoyev said the visit had become “a historic event in the development of Uzbek-Belarusian relations.” He said the newly signed declaration “marks the beginning of a new chapter in strengthening interstate cooperation” and demonstrates both countries’ commitment to long-term partnership. The leaders highlighted the rapid growth in economic ties. According to the Uzbek side, bilateral trade has nearly tripled over the past five years and approached $1 billion by the end of 2025, while trade during the first months of 2026 rose by another 30%. Official figures differ according to methodology. The Uzbek side said bilateral trade approached $1 billion in 2025, while Belarusian trade figures put goods trade at almost $855 million and services at $207.9 million. Belarusian state news agency BelTA also said around 230 enterprises with Belarusian capital are registered in Uzbekistan and that Belarus had a positive trade balance of more than $517 million. Both presidents said the target of $2 billion in annual trade is achievable by 2030. To support that goal, the two governments adopted a 2026-2030 action plan covering trade, economic, social, and humanitarian cooperation. The plan includes measures to expand collaboration in agriculture, mechanical engineering, pharmaceuticals, electrical engineering, microelectronics, textiles, furniture production, and other manufacturing sectors. One of the most significant areas discussed was nuclear energy. The Uzbek presidential press service said the parties agreed to draw on Belarusian experience in the construction of Uzbekistan’s first nuclear power plant and related infrastructure. Belarus operates the Russian-financed Ostrovets plant, whose two VVER-1200 units were built by Atomstroyexport. Uzbekistan’s own project is being developed with Russia’s Rosatom and is planned to combine two VVER-1000 reactors with two smaller RITM-200N units. Political analyst Mukhtor Nazirov said the declaration represented a qualitative change and could create opportunities for investment, technology transfer, and industrial cooperation. He described nuclear cooperation as “one of the most important components of the strategic partnership,” arguing that it required a particularly high level of trust. Labor migration also emerged as a major theme. During the talks, Lukashenko invited Uzbek citizens, especially families, to move to Belarus to...

Labor Migration

Opinion: Russia’s Migration Crackdown Tests Central Asia’s Labor Alternatives

Russia is no longer the unquestioned labor destination it once was for Central Asian workers. That shift is real, but it is easy to overstate. The Times of Central Asia recently reported that labor migration from the region is becoming more diverse. Workers are looking not only to Russia, but also to South Korea, the Gulf states, the United Kingdom, Poland, Belarus, and other destinations. The old Russia-centered model is weakening, even if it has not collapsed. The question is scale. It now intersects with two other filters: legal status and banking access. Alternative labor markets can absorb some Central Asian workers, but they cannot yet replace the Russian labor outlet. Russia did not function as an ordinary destination. For years, it acted as the region's largest external labor valve: geographically close, linguistically familiar, legally accessible for some, and large enough to absorb millions of workers across construction, services, logistics, agriculture, and municipal labor. South Korea, the UK, Poland, and the Gulf can offer higher wages and more formal recruitment channels. They can also reduce overdependence on Moscow. But they are more selective, more bureaucratic, and much smaller in immediate absorption capacity. That leaves a more important question: can new destinations expand fast enough to offset a narrowing Russian market? For now, the answer is probably no. Diversification Is Real, but Not Replacement The difference between diversification and replacement is crucial. A worker from Kyrgyzstan leaving for seasonal work in the UK, or a worker from Uzbekistan entering an organized recruitment program in South Korea, represents a genuine shift. These routes can be safer, better paid, and less exposed to the social hostility now facing many Central Asian migrants in Russia. But they cannot absorb workers on the same scale. Russia's labor market absorbed Central Asian workers in very large numbers because it had a combination few other destinations can match: proximity, low entry costs, dense migrant networks, Russian-language familiarity, and long-standing informal labor channels. Even as those channels become more restrictive, they remain embedded in household economies across the region. This is why diversification should be read as a partial adaptation, not a full exit. For governments in Tashkent, Bishkek, and Dushanbe, the search for new labor markets is necessary. It reduces exposure to Russian policy shocks. It gives workers more choices. It also helps governments negotiate better legal recruitment schemes. Yet the structural problem remains. If Russia closes the door faster than alternatives can open, pressure does not disappear. It returns home through unemployment, lower remittances, and frustrated expectations. The EAEU Line Russia's migration crackdown does not affect Central Asia evenly. The most important dividing line is not geography. It is legal status. Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which allows the free movement of labor among member states. In practical terms, citizens of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have a different legal status in Russia than citizens of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. They do not face the same work-permit and labor-patent system. That does not...

Labor Migration

Central Asian Labor Migration Shifts as Russia Loses Some of Its Pull

Russia remains the main destination for many Central Asian labor migrants, but its dominance is weakening. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Western sanctions, tougher Russian migration rules, and rising hostility toward migrants have pushed workers from the region to look elsewhere. South Korea, the Gulf states, the United Kingdom, Poland, Belarus, and other destinations are increasingly competing with Russia for Central Asian labor. The result is not a collapse of the old migration model, but a visible diversification of flows as the geography of labor migration from the region expands. Kazakhstan: From Destination Country to Source of Skilled Migrants Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, most labor migrants from Central Asia have traveled to Russia in search of work. A shortage of local labor, relatively decent wages, familiarity with the language, and a similar mentality have driven many to seek jobs in major Russian cities. Kazakhstan is an exception. It has not seen mass migration of its own citizens into lower-skilled jobs in Russia such as janitorial or construction work. Kazakhstan’s own economy offers such jobs, unemployment has remained low, and employers continue to report shortages in both manual work and skilled professions. The Bureau of National Statistics put unemployment at 4.5% in the first quarter of 2026. For this reason, Kazakhstan has also long been a destination for migrants from neighboring states, even if Russia has traditionally attracted larger flows. Kazakh citizens working abroad generally aim for higher-paying jobs in sectors requiring qualifications. The government was already tracking this in 2024, when the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection reported, using Foreign Ministry data, that 137,000 Kazakh citizens were abroad for employment purposes. The largest numbers were in Russia, South Korea, Turkey, and the UAE, with smaller numbers in Europe, North America, and elsewhere. A later Ministry report showed the same pattern, with Russia still dominant but alternatives clearly visible: of 126,000 Kazakh citizens employed abroad, 102,000 were in Russia, 15,000 in South Korea, and around 2,000 in the United Kingdom and European Union member states. Those leaving include economists, lawyers, technical specialists, teachers, and medical workers. Although outward labor migration remains limited compared with Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, or Tajikistan, it is adding to official concerns about the loss of qualified specialists. Officials believe Kazakhstan’s labor market is vulnerable to external competition, and a large share of those leaving have higher or technical vocational education. Salary gaps and differences in living standards make these destinations attractive. Qatar has recently joined the list of preferred destinations for labor migration. This has been made possible in large part by intergovernmental agreements signed between Qatar and Kazakhstan. Qatar is now actively recruiting Kazakh specialists, particularly in the oil and gas sector. According to Arman Shokparov, co-founder of People Consulting, around 600-700 Kazakh white-collar professionals currently work in Qatar. Nearly half work in the oil and gas sector, mainly in engineering and production roles. This trend does not mean Kazakhstan is only losing workers. It continues to attract immigrants and...

Labor Migration

Germany Pledges to Review Visa Obstacles Facing Skilled Workers From Uzbekistan

Germany has pledged to examine visa-related difficulties faced by Uzbekistani specialists and consider measures to address them, according to Uzbekistan’s Dunyo news agency. The commitment was announced during a meeting at the Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce and Industry focused on organized and safe recruitment of workers from Uzbekistan for the German labor market. The event was chaired by Dr. Jürgen Ratzinger, the chamber’s managing director for international business, and brought together representatives of German institutions and executives from WISAG, one of Germany’s largest service companies. Uzbekistan's delegation included Gulnara Salimova, honorary representative of Uzbekistan’s Migration Agency in Germany, and Vice Consul Bekzod Abdullayev. During the talks, Uzbek officials outlined efforts to prepare workers for employment in Germany. These measures include vocational training programs tailored to the needs of the German labor market, language instruction, and initiatives designed to support legal and organized labor migration. Participants also discussed challenges faced by Uzbekistani specialists during the visa application process. According to Dunyo, German representatives acknowledged that visa processing for qualified Uzbekistani workers often takes considerable time and said they would study systemic issues and consider possible solutions. The discussions come as Germany continues to face labor shortages in several sectors and seeks qualified foreign workers. Uzbekistan, meanwhile, has increased efforts to create legal pathways for employment abroad through government-supported migration programs. The meeting also follows a recent investigation by German authorities into an alleged visa fraud and migrant smuggling network involving citizens of Uzbekistan. Earlier this month, Germany’s Federal Police carried out searches at seven locations in the states of Hesse and Lower Saxony as part of an investigation led by prosecutors in Bavaria. The case concerns suspected commercial smuggling of foreign nationals, unauthorized residence, visa fraud, and document forgery. The investigation began after federal police inspected a citizen of Uzbekistan traveling on a long-distance bus shortly after he entered Germany through a Bavarian border crossing. Officials at the Frankfurt meeting highlighted the importance of ensuring that labor migration takes place through transparent, legal, and secure channels while improving opportunities for qualified professionals from Uzbekistan seeking work in Germany.