DUSHANBE, March 26, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- The World Bank has offered Tajikistan’s Migration Service to establish the department to monitor and assess implementation of migration programs and strategies.

The source at the Migration Service says this issue was discussed at a meeting of the Migration Service deputy chief Anvar Boboyev with Zainiddin Karaev, Acting Country Manager of the World Bank in Tajikistan.  The sides also discussed issues related to labor migration and vocational training for Tajik labor migrants.

According to the statistical data from Tajikistan’s Migration Service, more than 600,000 Tajik seasonal workers are currently abroad, primarily in Russia but also in neighboring countries.  Every year, labor migrants reportedly remit on average more than 2 billion U.S. dollars to banks in Tajikistan.

We will recall that President Emomali Rahmon signed a decree on January 21 establishing a new agency to be in charge of the country’s migration policy.  The Migration Service under the Government of Tajikistan performs functions previously carried out by the Interior Ministry migration service, representative offices of the Interior Ministry migration service in Russia, labor migration sections in Tajikistan’s consulates in Russia and the state agency for social protection, employment and migration at the Ministry Labor and Social Protection.