DUSHANBE, April 23, Asia-Plus -- “We are currently working on legalization of Tajik labor migrants staying in the Russian Federation,” Labor and Social Security Minister Shukurjon Zuhurov announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on April 20.  

According to him, the ministry’s working group is currently working in Russia, seeking legalization of Tajik labor migrants staying there.  “Recently, Russian authorities started consideration of issue of granting amnesty and legalization for labor migrants that are staying and working in Russia,” the minister said.  

He also noted that following migration reform in Russia that imposed stricter immigration regulations 50,000 Tajik guest workers had been deported.  “We have dispatched formal request to the Russian authorities for amnesty for these 50,000 labor migrants,” Zuhurov said.  

“According to our data, some 50,000-800,000 our citizens annually leave for Russia, seeking better employment opportunities, depending on the season,” said the minister, “Sometimes, this figure may reach 800,000 in the spring.  According to figures provided by the Russian Migration Service, 496,000 residents of Tajikistan have been registered.” 

Zuhurov noted that the Tajik government had set up a working group for seeking larger quota for Tajik migrants.  “We requested that Russia allow some 800,000 Tajik labor migrants to work in Russia each year, and the Russian side does not oppose this,” the minister noted.  

At the same time, the minister pointed to the necessity of training of personnel for needs of Tajikistan itself. 

According to him, they also plan to establish a center for certification of specialists, who could work not only inside the country but also outside it. 

On the employment situation in the country, Zuhurov said that more than 24,000 people had applied to the ministry’s employment centers for job over the first quarter of the year.  “Of them, 10,700 have been placed in jobs,” the minister said. 

As far as young people are concerned, 1,255 of 13,212 youth having applied for jobs have been provided with jobs, Zuhurov minister said. 

“Some 200 people who wanted to run their own businesses have been provided with preferential loans for a total of 2.0036 million somonis,” themnister said, adding that 91 unemployed women have been provided with totaling 96,240 somonis in loans to run their own businesses.