Decoupling from Moscow: Shifting Labor Migration Policies in Central Asia

This paper examines the evolving labor migration policies in Central Asia in response to the geopolitical shifts following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the tightening of labor migration laws in Russia. Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are the focus of the study since they are the most economically reliant on remittances sent by labor migrants in the Russian Federation. The paper also discusses Kazakhstan, as it is the second biggest host of Central Asian migrants. It highlights the trend towards diversifying labor migration destinations to Europe and Asia in an attempt to reduce the economic dependence on Russia. Due to limited data, the paper provides an overview of Turkmenistan’s labor migration situation. The paper concludes by offering policy recommendations.

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