Tajikistan plans to send labor migrants to Qatar, Deputy Minister of Labor, Migration and Employment of Population, Nourullo Mahmadullozoda, told reporters in Dushanbe on February 7. 

According to him, a government-to-government agreement on this issue between Tajikistan and Qatar was signed on February 3.   

A joint working group is being set up for implementation of this agreement, Tajik official said, noting that the agreement requires professional and legal training of potential labor migrants and knowledge of the language.

Recall, Tajikistan and Qatar signed a government-to-government agreement on regulation of recruitment of manpower from Tajikistan.

The document was inked by Ms. Sumangul Taghoizoda, Minister of Labor, Migration and Employment of Population of Tajikistan, and Mr. Yousef bin Mohamed al Othman Fakhroo, Minister of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs of Qatar, in Doha on February 3.

Under this agreement, Tajik labor migrants can work in Qatar on the basis of a contract between employee and employer drawn up in accordance with Qatari legislation.   

Meanwhile, Qatari media reports say the agreement includes the procedures and regulations of workers recruitment, in addition to the formation of a joint committee of the two sides to be held annually, to facilitate the recruitment procedures between the two countries.

Qatar is currently making preparations for hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and it needs additional workforce for construction of dozens of new stadiums and other infrastructure.  

On the basis of bilateral agreements, Tajik labor migrants today reportedly leave for Turkey and Poland seeking better employment opportunities.   Tajikistan plans to sign similar agreements with other countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mahmadullozoda noted.   

Russia, however, remains the top destination for Tajik labor migrants.   

“The situation of Tajik migrants in Russia has substantially improved compared to the previous years.  The majority of our labor migrants now work in Russia legally,” Mahmadullozoda stressed.  

Under agreements signed between the two countries, Tajik national now can stay in Russia without registration for 30 days.    

Tajik official further noted that they had drafted a government-to-government agreement between Tajikistan and Russia on providing pensions for Tajik labor migrant working in the Russian Federation.

According to data from the Ministry of Labor, Migration and Employment of Population (MoLMEP), the number of Tajik nationals leaving the country for seasonal work last year reduced by 15 percent compared to 2017.    

An estimated 485,000 Tajik seasonal workers, including nearly 420,000 men and some 65,000 women,  traveled abroad in 2018r, primarily to Russia but also to neighboring Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan,

Thus, last year, more than 463,000 Tajik labor migrants reportedly traveled to the Russian Federation and more than 13,500 Tajik labor migrants traveled to Kazakhstan.  

Meanwhile, 425,000 Tajik labor migrants returned home in the same period, which was 3 percent more than in 2017.