Tajik government tackles labor migration issue

6/14/02

The scene these days at Dushanbe's main railway station is frenzied. On a typical morning, about 4,000 men and women converge on the ticket office, hoping to obtain a seat on the twice-weekly Dushanbe-Astrakhan train. Only 700 tickets are made available for each train – a major conduit for Tajik migrant workers hoping to find opportunity abroad.

Up to 500,000 Tajiks leave the country each year in search of seasonal work, according to an estimate prepared under the auspices of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) office in Dushanbe. Many migrant workers say the lack of economic opportunity in Tajikistan leaves them no choice but to search for work in other CIS countries – mainly Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. However, Tajik experts say the largely unregulated outflow of workers has a debilitating effect on the country's economy.

The annual migration wave has also been a source of political friction among Tajikistan and its neighbors. In late September last year, for instance, Kazakhstan forced the suspension of Dushanbe-Astrakhan service, by refusing to permit the train to cross its territory. [For background see the EurasiaNet Business and Economics archive]. Kazakhstani officials attributed the move to concern over the unregulated movements of Tajik migrant laborers.

Managing labor migration has emerged as one of the most important issues confronting Tajik President Imomali Rahmonov's administration. The income generated by migrant workers is critical to the economic survival of many Tajik families. According to some estimates, the earnings of migrant workers are double the annual state budget of Tajikistan. "Labor migration for Tajikistan is of no less importance than production of cotton, aluminum and other resources," says Igor Bosc, head of the IOM office in Dushanbe.

Tajik authorities in recent months have implemented a variety of measures to regulate labor migration. The measures stand not only to benefit Tajikistan's economic development and regional relations, but may also serve to help protect legal migrant workers from abuse by employers in other countries by reducing exposure to extortion and deceptive practices.

At present, according to Bosc, about 90 percent of Tajik migrant workers are undocumented. The lack of legal status leaves many Tajiks vulnerable to abuse. For example, Azzam Shermatova, a Tajik woman who found work in the Orenburg Region of Russia, told the Varorud news agency that on her return journey she was subjected repeatedly to shakedowns by Uzbek police.

"Everything was good until we reached the Uzbek border ... all officials saw a potential drug trafficker in me. Under this pretext they began to extort money from me," Shermatova said. "So I ended up returning from Russia penniless a with debts, as I had borrowed money for the trip."

In late 2001, the Tajik government adopted a framework on labor migration. Under the plan, the government established a procedure for the licensing and oversight of job placement agencies. At present there are five license companies that help place Tajik workers in foreign jobs. Of the companies that have received licenses to date, four of the five have ties to Tajik government structures. The Tajik government has also simplified procedures and fees for inter-bank wire transfers, a move designed to help migrant workers remit funds to their families back in Tajikistan. In addition, the government established a special commission to oversee the sale a rail tickets following an incident in which a man was crushed May 18 during a melee at Dushanba's station.

The capacity of Tajik employment agencies to meet demand for jobs is limited, however. They have managed so far to establish only a few partnerships with Russian firms. In addition, only residents of Dushanbe have easy access to their services.

Tajik officials say labor migration issues must be address on a governmental level. "It is impossible to solve the issue of legalization of labor migration without bilateral cooperation with those countries in which Tajik citizens find work," said Jamshed Quddusov, the head of the Labor Market and Employment Administration of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security.

To date, Tajikistan has signed a bilateral agreement concerning the protection of labor migrants' rights only with Kyrgyzstan. Quddusov said the Tajik government was negotiating similar agreements with Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russian. "We are seeking mutually acceptable solutions to these problems because each country has interests of its own labor market. We, in tun, have established a good legal foundations," he said.

A top priority for Tajik officials is reaching a labor deal with Russia. The overwhelming majority of Tajik migrant workers (82 percent) go to Russia in search of jobs. Several factors – including the lack of a visa regime, and an overall labor shortage – make Russia an enticing destination. In general, Tajik migrants in Russia find employment as traders at farmer's markets, or as unskilled construction workers. Many Russian employers prefer to take on seasonal workers from Central Asian countries, especially Tajiks, because they tend not to complain and are willing to work for low wages.

Many Tajiks, meanwhile, end up the victims of deception. Some readily make agreements to perform work, only never to receive payment. And according to an IOM study, many Tajik women are lured into drug trafficking or prostitution rings under false promises of gainful employment. According to the study, which covers 2000, more than 1,000 women from Tajikistan were the victims of female trafficking schemes.

Posted June 14, 2002 © Eurasianet