DUSHANBE, August 17, 2013, Asia-Plus -- Some 30% of returning Tajik labor migrants have suffered from various diseases.

The first deputy head of Tajik migration service agency, Anavr Boboyev, reportedly stated this during a meeting with Heather Johnston, Second Secretary at U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe.  “This forces us to seriously think about establishment of reintegration centers for labor migrants,” Boboyev said.

According to him, the Migration Service under the Government of Tajikistan and the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Tajikistan have signed an agreement, under which labor migrants should undergo medical examination before exit from and on entry into the country.

Boboyev noted that Tajik migration service agency was interested in seeking solution to problems facing labor migrants and paid special attention to the labor migration regulation issues.

He asked the U.S. diplomat to assist with implementation of pilot projects and establishment of centers for labor migrants.

The sides reportedly agreed to continue cooperation in seeking solution to the labor migration problems.

According to data of the Migration Service, more than 655,000 people have migrated from Tajikistan over the first seven months of this year, 16.2 percent more than in the same period last year, while more than 362,000 have returned over the same seven-month period.

Despite the fact that the overall labor migration tend is increasing, the monthly labor migration level is gradually decreasing since the peak in March and April.  In July, the number of labor migrants reportedly totaled little more than 84,000, which is only 0.2 percent more than in June.