Migrant Workers - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 20

Russia Remains Top Destination for 600,000 Kyrgyz Migrant Workers

A total of 600,000 Kyrgyz citizens are currently living abroad, with Russia remaining the primary destination for Kyrgyz labor migrants, Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Minister of Labor, Social Security, and Migration, Bakyt Darmankul uulu, said at a press conference last week, citing data from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. As of the end of 2024, 379,949 Kyrgyz nationals were registered with Russian migration authorities. According to the Kyrgyz Ministry of Labor, the distribution of Kyrgyz migrants in other countries is as follows: Kazakhstan - approximately 70,000 Turkey - around 32,000 United States - about 40,000 South Korea - more than 17,000 Germany - about 15,000 United Arab Emirates (UAE) - more than 10,000 The Role of Remittances in Kyrgyzstan’s Economy Labor migration remains a vital source of income for many Kyrgyz households, with remittances playing a crucial role in the country’s economic development. According to a recent World Bank report analyzing migration trends in Europe and Central Asia, remittances from labor migrants accounted for 24% of Kyrgyzstan’s GDP in 2024. The report also highlights that the poverty rate among Kyrgyz households with an international migrant is currently below 10% but would exceed 50% without remittances. Shifting Migration Trends In recent years, many Kyrgyz and other Central Asian migrants have left Russia, due to the country’s economic downturn, stricter regulations, and rising anti-immigrant sentiment. As a result, an increasing number of migrants from Central Asia are opting for alternative destinations such as Turkey, South Korea, and various European countries.

Uzbek citizens Deportation Migrant Workers

Uzbek Citizens Deported from U.S. to Return Home

Uzbekistan has contacted Latin American governments and U.S. authorities regarding the deportation of its citizens from the United States, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahror Burhonov announced. According to Burhonov, Uzbek citizens deported from the U.S. typically return home on flights along the New York-Tashkent route. The Embassy of Uzbekistan in Washington and the Consulate General in New York have been coordinating with U.S. law enforcement agencies to facilitate a safe return. As part of ongoing cooperation, the U.S. government notifies Uzbekistan of each deportation case. "We are monitoring reports about the possible deportation of Uzbek citizens to other countries. Our diplomatic missions have formally requested information from the U.S. regarding such cases. Additionally, we have established contacts with Latin American countries through diplomatic channels," Burhonov stated. Previously, The Times of Central Asia reported that a group of 200 migrants from Central Asia and India would be deported to Costa Rica as part of U.S. immigration enforcement efforts. A separate U.S. Air Force flight carrying deportees from Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam recently landed in Panama. Two more flights are expected, bringing the total number of deportees to 360.

Russia Migration Labor Migrants Migrant Workers

Uzbekistan to Send 7,000 Workers to Russia Under New Agreements

Uzbekistan and Russia have agreed to establish a new system for regulating labor migration. The decision was reached during a meeting in Moscow between the director of Uzbekistan’s Migration Agency, Behzod Musayev, and the head of Russia’s Federal Agency for Labor and Employment, Mikhail Ivankov. A key component of the agreement is the creation of specialized training centers in Uzbekistan to prepare citizens for employment in Russia. These centers will provide essential skills and qualifications to facilitate the transition for Uzbek labor migrants. Additionally, Uzbek workers will now be able to take a required Russian language exam in Tashkent before traveling to Russia. The exam, which is necessary for obtaining a work permit, will be administered at the Tashkent branch of the Sakharov Multifunctional Migration Center. To simplify employment procedures, Uzbekistan has signed agreements with several major Russian companies, including Ant Yapi, Ozon Community, PEK, and SPAR Middle Volga. Under these agreements, 7,000 Uzbek citizens will be provided with official employment in Russia. The Migration Agency has reviewed working conditions and salaries, and candidate selection will take place across Uzbekistan in February. Meanwhile, Russia is tightening immigration regulations, potentially affecting millions of Central Asian migrants. A proposed law from the Russian Ministry of Education would require migrant children to pass a Russian language test. Those who fail must enroll in a three-month language program at their parents’ expense. Families that do not comply may face investigations and administrative penalties. As of September 1, 2024, nearly four million Central Asian migrants were officially residing in Russia. Amid increasing restrictions, challenges for migrant workers continue to mount. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that some Central Asian migrants have signed contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense to participate in the war in Ukraine, primarily for financial reasons. However, economic hardship is not the only factor driving recruitment. Central Asians with Russian citizenship have also faced threats of imprisonment if they refuse to fight. Separately, Ukraine has reported that approximately 30 Central Asian citizens have been taken prisoner since the start of Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Ukrainian Justice Minister Olha Stefanishyna disclosed this information in response to an inquiry from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Novosti Priazovya project. However, their current status remains unclear. According to Ukraine’s Justice Ministry, prisoner nationality is often determined based on personal statements, as many detainees lack documents confirming their citizenship. The ministry emphasized that all prisoners of war, regardless of nationality, are granted the same legal status under both international and national law.

Migrant Rights UK Migrant Workers Russia

Half a World Away: Central Asian Workers on British Farms

Few countries have more patriotic supermarkets than Britain. Whether it’s a sortie through the sausage section, or browsing the fruit aisle, customers are almost guaranteed to be confronted with the red, white and blue of the Union Jack. In a country not famed for its food, it’s perhaps strange to see the national flag given such prominence. The practice is far less common in continental Europe. Nevertheless, over the past decade there has been a push, propelled by an odd alliance of environmentalists and nationalists, to source homegrown food. Retailers have cottoned onto this and seem glad to leave the customer with the warm, bucolic feeling that they have aided embattled farmers, reduced their carbon footprint, and even helped to correct the country’s balance of payments deficit by buying British. “Supermarkets get more than just the profit margin for the [British] fruit they sell,” says Dr Lydia Medland, a research fellow at Bristol University. “We call it farmwashing: they get publicity, they get kudos; they use this ripe, fresh, local image to sell more products.” There’s only one snag. The people who pick the fruit and vegetables which are then packaged up with British flags, are not exactly local. [caption id="attachment_28497" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] British flags adorn food packaging in the country's supermarkets.Images: Yvonne Mould (left); Elke Morgan (center and right)[/caption] Central Asia and Britain: An Unlikely Match Seasonal workers have been traveling to the island of Britain for over a hundred years. In the nineteenth century, farmers would travel across the Irish Sea to help bring in the harvest. However, in the late 1990s, the number of people arriving on seasonal visas began to rise significantly. This was followed in the 2000s by a spike in workers from Europe, taking advantage of visa-free access to Britain’s labor market under the auspices of the European Union. They served as a pool of flexible, cheap workers for a farming industry that was being increasingly squeezed by the buying power of the country’s major supermarket chains. When Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016, the farming industry panicked at the prospect of losing much of this cut-price labor force. They successfully lobbied the government to relaunch the Seasonal Worker Visa program on a trial basis. Originally designed in the 1940s for European students, the scheme was repackaged to empower private recruitment agencies to hire workers from across the world to work in the fields for six months a year. When the visa debuted in 2018, 2,500 people came. By 2021 – the year that freedom of movement between Britain and the EU officially ended – the government had already raised the quota to 30,000. At the other end of Europe, the collapse in the value of the Russian Ruble since the start of 2023, combined with a crackdown on foreign laborers, has seen a mass exodus of Central Asians from Russia. By October 2024, there were around 30% fewer migrants in the country than there were on the eve of the Covid-19...

Labour market Migrant Workers Bilateral Relations Employment

Slovakia Opens Job Opportunities for Kyrgyz Bus Drivers

The Center for Employment of Citizens Abroad, operating under the Ministry of Labor, Social Security, and Migration of Kyrgyzstan, has begun registering candidates for bus driver positions in Slovakia. The Center has signed an agreement with INDEX NOSLUS s.r.o., a Slovak company specializing in human resources management and international recruitment. “This agreement aims to strengthen bilateral ties in labor migration and create reliable conditions for Kyrgyz citizens working in Slovakia,” the Employment Center stated. Kyrgyz authorities believe the partnership will significantly increase the number of legal employment opportunities for Kyrgyz workers while ensuring transparent hiring conditions and social security protections. Plans include the development of joint programs for recruitment, training, and worker support. As part of the current recruitment process, the Employment Center will invite 50 candidates, from which 15 will be selected to work for a Slovak transportation company. Applicants must be Kyrgyz citizens between 22 and 50 years old, have experience in passenger transport, and possess a clean criminal record and no chronic illnesses. According to Slovak employment terms, workers will be paid €7.40 per hour, resulting in an average net monthly income of approximately €1,200. The Kyrgyz authorities guarantee official employment registration and social protections for those hired. Six months ago, Speaker of the Jogorku Kenesh, Nurlanbek Shakiev, met with Kyrgyz labor migrants in Slovakia during an official visit. According to Shakiev, an estimated 4,000 Kyrgyz citizens are currently employed in Slovakia. Kyrgyz officials are also considering the opening of an embassy in Slovakia to support and protect the interests of Kyrgyz nationals working there. In addition to Slovakia, the United Kingdom and Italy have also signed official agreements with Kyrgyzstan for seasonal employment programs. Today, tens of thousands of Kyrgyz workers are employed in these countries.

Labor Great Britain Migrant Workers UK Labour market

More Kyrgyz Labor Migrants Head to the UK

The number of Kyrgyz citizens working as seasonal agricultural laborers in the UK has continued to rise, reaching 8,131 in 2024, up from 5,200 in 2023 and 1,492 in 2022. These figures were announced by Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Labor, Social Security, and Migration, Ravshanbek Sabirov, during a January 28 meeting with the British Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Nicholas Bowler. Expanding Labor Migration Cooperation The meeting focused on Kyrgyz-British cooperation in labor migration. Minister Sabirov requested the ambassador’s assistance in increasing the quota for Kyrgyz seasonal workers and reducing additional fees associated with British visa applications. Ambassador Bowler acknowledged the discipline and reliability of Kyrgyz migrant workers, noting that they return home in the same numbers as they arrive, complying with UK immigration laws. Economic Impact and Employment Conditions According to Minister Sabirov, remittances from Kyrgyz workers in Britain’s agricultural sector are expected to exceed $100 million. He emphasized that even with a relatively small workforce, these remittances significantly contribute to Kyrgyzstan’s economic growth. The Kyrgyz Ministry of Labor’s Center for Employment of Citizens Abroad, which oversees seasonal labor placements in the UK, reports that Kyrgyz workers receive a wage of £11.44 per hour and are guaranteed a minimum of 32 hours per week. In Britain, most Kyrgyz migrants are employed on strawberry farms. Shift Away from Russia For the past 30 years, Russia has been the primary destination for Kyrgyz labor migrants, with estimates ranging from 500,000 to over a million. However, Russia’s economic downturn, stricter migration policies, and increasing hostility toward Central Asian workers have prompted many Kyrgyz migrants to seek alternative destinations. As a result, more Kyrgyz workers are heading to Kazakhstan, Turkey, Germany, South Korea, the United States, and Great Britain, reflecting a broader shift in Kyrgyzstan’s labor migration patterns.