Russia ratifies the agreement on the recruitment of Tajik migrants

Against the backdrop of a significant shortage of labor in Russia, the authorities of this country are preparing to ratify a new agreement with the government of Tajikistan to attract Tajik migrants to the Russian labor market.

According to Russian media, the government commission on legislative activity has approved a draft amendment to the intergovernmental agreement with Tajikistan on the organized recruitment of citizens of the republic for temporary work in Russia. The document is in the final stage of ratification.

It is reported that this initiative will simplify and ensure a more transparent process for the employment of Tajik citizens in Russia.

As noted in the statement, the Russian government intends to work with the government of Tajikistan to “create effective incentives for the development of organized forms of labor migration” in order to provide Tajik migrants with decent, legal, and safe work, as well as to meet the demand of the Russian labor market for qualified labor.

The updated document provides for the implementation of some procedures related to labor migration even before departure, directly on the territory of Tajikistan. Thus, medical examinations, biometric data registration, including fingerprint collection (dactyloscopy), training of candidates, and conducting exams will take place in Tajikistan.

Also, during organized recruitment, migrants arrive for employment with a specific employer and are registered in a special system. In this case, employers are required to provide migrant workers with jobs, properly process documents, and guarantee social conditions, thereby taking responsibility for them.

The draft agreement stipulates that the Ministry of Labor, Migration, and Employment of the Population of Tajikistan will organize training for candidates for employment in the Russian Federation, including Russian language courses. The necessary educational and methodological materials will be provided by state institutions authorized by the government of Russia.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tajikistan will check migrants for their status in search, as well as for any unserved or unresolved criminal convictions. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia will be responsible for registering and verifying the data of candidates.

Currently, Tajik citizens must obtain a work patent and undergo a medical examination within 30 days of entering Russia to engage in labor activities. Russian experts note that by completing these procedures in their home country, migrants will be able to start working faster, and this will also lead to a reduction in illegal activities.

Experts believe that despite certain transparency and a number of advantages, the new organized recruitment system may limit the freedom of job choice for migrants and place them in dependence on employers. This could even lead to migrants being forced to take undesirable or low-paying jobs.

It was previously reported that Russian lawmakers demanded that medical examinations of migrants in Tajikistan be conducted by Russian doctors. According to them, this is a safer way to ensure that migrants do not bring dangerous infectious diseases into the country.

The announcement has sparked mixed reactions from social media users. Some expressed the opinion that this decision indicates a lack of trust in the results of medical examinations in Tajikistan and in Tajik doctors. The authorities of Tajikistan have not yet officially commented on this information.