Uzbekistan’s economic system is considerably reliant on labor migration, given its massive inhabitants and tight home labor market. Yearly, round 650,000 Uzbeks graduate from normal secondary or secondary particular, vocational establishments. Solely a few quarter of them proceed their research at universities, whereas others enter the workforce. The Uzbek economic system can not assist this many new staff yearly. Reportedly, solely about 300,000 new jobs are created yearly. The official poverty price hovers at round 11 p.c whereas the official unemployment price is 6.8 p.c.
Unsurprisingly, many search jobs overseas, particularly these from rural areas. The remittances despatched by migrants assist their household, assuaging the poverty price nationwide. In 2022 alone, labor migrants despatched $13.5 billion to Uzbekistan, putting the nation at fifteenth globally when it comes to receiving remittances. Remittances in 2022 have been equal to 17 p.c of the nation’s GDP.
Nevertheless, lately, the dynamics of labor migration from Uzbekistan have been altering. The full variety of labor migrants, for instance, declined from a median of 3-4 million yearly throughout the early 2000s to 2-3 million a yr by 2023. The precise quantity is tough to report because of the seasonal nature of labor migration. Within the first quarter of 2022, for instance, 2.3 million residents have been working overseas.
Labor migration patterns have been impacted by each inner and exterior developments. Contained in the nation, the formal perspective towards labor migrants modified with the ruling regime in 2016.
In an notorious rant in 2013, then-President Islam Karimov was recorded calling labor migrants “lazy.”
“Who do I name ‘lazy’ — those that go to Moscow and sweep streets and squares,” he yapped. “One will get disgusted that folks from the Uzbek nation go there simply to earn bread. Nobody is ravenous in Uzbekistan… [They] go there to shortly earn some huge cash, however deliver disgrace upon us all.”
Not like his predecessor, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev doesn’t characterize labor migration as shameful, as a substitute recognizing the worth it brings.
Mirziyoyev’s administration understands that folks select labor migration due to home shortcomings in job provision and low salaries. The federal government additionally realizes that the remittances from labor migration assist the nationwide economic system. So, as a substitute of criticizing the employees, the Mirziyoyev administration has been aiding them.
In 2018, the Company for International Labor Migration was established below the Ministry of Employment to assist residents working overseas, shield their rights and pursuits, and facilitate the reintegration of returning migrant employees. The 2020 presidential decree “On measures to introduce a system of protected, orderly and authorized labor migration,” amongst others, envisioned low-interest price loans for migrating residents from poor backgrounds to cowl journey bills and acquire work permits overseas. It additionally emphasised worldwide cooperation in overseas labor migration and bettering relations with compatriot organizations overseas and Uzbek diasporas. This yr alone, for instance, Uzbek diplomats met with diaspora communities and labor migrants in Japan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and at the least 5 cities in Russia, assessing the working circumstances.
One other main change is noticed within the vacation spot nations. Though Russia, Kazakhstan, and Turkey stay major locations for many Uzbek labor migrants, as these nations enable for visa-free journey for Uzbekistanis, many are exploring different, developed nations too. In Lithuania, for instance, in early 2023, the variety of Uzbek labor migrants stood at simply 1,800. By March 2024, this quantity reached nearly 10,000.
Right here, Tashkent’s intervening function is notable – it has actively been holding negotiations with overseas nations, particularly developed ones, and overseas firms, to get Uzbek employees employed. Uzbekistan has signed agreements with nearly 300 recruiting companies from 28 nations. In March, as an example, the Company for International Labor Migration held official negotiations with Hungary’s Worknet Kft. firm to facilitate recruitment of round 100 employees.
Whereas up to now, solely 0.15 p.c of residents would decide to journey for work overseas by means of official channels, in 2022, this indicator stood at 8-9 p.c. Over the previous two years, the Company for International Labor Migration reportedly despatched 70,000 residents to developed nations to work.
To this finish, the Company for International Labor Migration runs a Xorijda Ish (Jobs Overseas) digital platform that facilitates Uzbek migrants touchdown a job in overseas nations comparable to Belarus, the UK, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, and Russia. At present, there are over 50,000 vacant jobs for Uzbek employees and over 2 million registered customers.
One downside is that not everyone seems to be certified to work the roles listed, partly due to language boundaries and partly as a result of they lack the skill-sets in demand. Tashkent has organized low cost, quick language programs and vocational programs to deal with these points. One can research German, English, Russian, Korean, Arabic, and different languages, paying merely a symbolic worth – $10-25. The typical size of language programs is 12 weeks and people can be found nationwide. Vocational programs are a bit extra expensive, however there are free programs too.
Following the Crocus Metropolis Corridor terrorist assault and subsequent wave of xenophobia and discrimination towards Central Asian labor migrants in Russia, Tashkent has labored to ensure its residents are correctly supported, at dwelling or overseas.
On April 4, Mirziyoyev signed a decree aiming to incentivize native employers to rent returning labor migrants. Accordingly, any employer who hires a returning labor migrant from June 2024 to January 2026 will obtain a 500,000 Uzbek som ($40) month-to-month subsidy for a yr. The decree specifies a former labor migrant as a person who has labored overseas for at the least three months and has returned to their place of residence inside the previous 12 months, excluding those that returned earlier than June 2023. Tashkent additionally plans to launch a round the clock call-center to help labor migrants by September with toll-free calls from overseas.
The decree additionally retains partial monetary assist for labor migrants from a earlier presidential decree in 2021. Accordingly, those that have registered by means of the “Xorijda ish” on-line system, and who’re touring overseas by means of organized labor migration, will obtain partial funding for acquiring a language certificates or occupational expertise certificates that permits them to work overseas. Monetary assist may also be offered to partially cowl work visas and journey tickets. Staff who face discrimination, violence, or compelled labor can be entitled to authorized providers.
As a way to present higher assist for Uzbek labor migrants overseas, Tashkent introduced that it might designate one further attaché place for labor migration points on the diplomatic and consular establishments of Uzbekistan in key labor migrant locations – the U.Ok., UAE, Hungary, Germany, Latvia, Poland, and Japan.
There was a visual shift in Uzbek migrant labor patterns, evidenced by the quantity and supply of remittances. In 2023, remittances from Russia decreased by 39 p.c. This was partly because of the devaluation of the Russian ruble. Nevertheless, remittances from different nations reportedly elevated by 15 p.c. Whereas many who go to Russia, Turkey, and Kazakhstan for low-paying, handbook jobs face fixed discrimination and, basically, really feel unsafe, those that migrate by means of official channels and by way of official packages have higher possibilities. Aside from handbook work, many vacancies in developed nations embrace medical, engineering, lodge service, and different jobs, with fastened 8-hour working days and much better fee.
However, Russia stays a major vacation spot – 70-87 p.c of Uzbek labor migrants go to Russia. There are nonetheless a whole bunch of 1000’s of unskilled, unemployed, or underemployed residents for whom handbook jobs in Russia or Kazakhstan are the one resolution. The Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis experiences that almost all labor migrants from Uzbekistan (72 p.c) don’t have any college or faculty diploma – 43 p.c have normal secondary training and one other 29 p.c have incomplete secondary training.
Not everybody can afford to undergo the 12-24 weeks of language and vocational coaching essential to land higher-paying jobs in developed nations, however offering these alternatives is an effective begin from Tashkent.
However there’s extra Uzbekistan can do. Whereas what Tashkent has been doing seems to be good within the information, and it has helped 1000’s, labor migration isn’t the answer to Uzbekistan’s financial issues. Whatever the vacation spot nation, whether or not it’s a developed or undeveloped nation, whether or not it’s a good paying or a low-paying job, labor migrants by default are away from their dwelling and from their households for months, if not years. Youngsters develop up with no mum or dad, ladies keep at dwelling with no husband, and oldsters develop previous lacking their youngsters who’re engaged in labor migration. All these crack the household establishment, which the Uzbek nation holds as its highest worth.
The writer thanks the TalTech Legislation College at Tallinn College of Expertise for offering the chance to take part as a fellow in Caucasus and Central Asia Analysis Social Innovation: Growth Help, Innovation and Societal Transformation venture that allowed her to work on this piece.