New Directions of Labor Migration From Tajikistan: The Case

Introduction. Tajikistan is one of the few countries in the world whose state budget is largely based on tax revenues from remittances from citizens working abroad. The deterioration of the economic situation in Russia has forced migrants to look for a new direction of labor migration. In particular, the Government of Tajikistan itself is interested in reorienting migrants to a new direction. In 2021, Tajikistan signed an employment agreement with the United Kingdom (UK) and the Republic of Korea to send seasonal migrants. Goals. The article aims to identify the prospects and trends in the development of labor emigration from Tajikistan to the UK, as well as the features and channels of seasonal migration from Tajikistan to the UK.  Materials and methods. In this study, statistical and sociological research methods are used. The statistics includes numbers of seasonal migrants from Tajikistan for a variety of years. A content analysis of interviews with labor migrants to the UK has been conducted. The analytical method includes systematization of the materials of recruitment agencies’ websites and bilateral agreements of the Republic of Tajikistan with foreign countries. The data are provided by the Agency on Statistics under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, the National Statistical Service of Great Britain, World Bank, International Organization for Migration (IOM). Currently, the Agency on Statistics under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan has information on the unemployment rate in the country, the economically active population, as well as the number of Tajik migrants until 2021, the World Bank provides data until 2021. Data on the number of seasonal migrants and the structure of labor migration from Tajikistan at the end of 2022 are published in annual or quarterly sections and posted on the official website of the National Statistical Service of the UK. Results. The UK, which needs cheap labor for agriculture, after BREXIT was forced to expand the geography of attracting labor. In addition to the traditional region of hiring seasonal workers — Eastern European countries (Poland, Baltic states, Bulgaria), labor resources began to be actively attracted from Central Asian countries, including Tajikistan. The main factor in attracting migrants from Tajikistan to the UK is the shortage of labor in the country’s labor market after leaving the EU. The main reasons for the reorientation of Tajik migrants from the Russian labor market to the UK are as follows: economic crises in Russia; tightening of migration policy towards Tajik migrants; the spread of English among the youth of Tajikistan, etc. Migration of low-skilled citizens of Tajikistan began in the second quarter of 2021. The main type of migration from Tajikistan to the UK are seasonal migration. The main channel of emigration from Tajikistan to the UK are public and private recruitment agencies. The main one from the bottom is the state institution — Center for Counseling and Pre-Departure Training of Migrant Workers.

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