Central Asia’s Migrant Headache by Daria Anichkova

In the International Economic Bulletin, Daria Anichkova reports that Russia, one of the world’s main recipients of migrant labor, is a major destination country for migrant workers from Central Asia. Remittances from Russia are especially critical to the economies of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan,accounting in Tajikistan’s case for nearly half of the country’s GDP.

But as the 2008 financial crisis revealed, labor migration has become an unreliable political and economic crutch for these states. As Russia’s economy plunged, many sectors employing migrant labor came to a virtual standstill and anti-immigrant sentiment rose. In the long run, Central Asian policymakers will need to strengthen social safety nets and focus on generating employment opportunities at home, but for the time being, remittances will remain important to their economies. Russian authorities meanwhile should view migration as a boon for their country’s labor force and avoid policies forcing migrant workers into the shadows.

KJ