Authorities have for the first time acknowledged the contribution of migrants to the national economy

The authorities of Tajikistan have acknowledged that labor migrants, the majority of whom go to Russia for work, have made a significant contribution to the economy of Tajikistan.

The director of the migration project at the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, Anvar Bobozoda, stated that in 2022 alone, more than 5.2 billion dollars were transferred to the country.

According to Radio Ozodi, citing the director of the migration project at the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, this amount is equal to 49.2 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), ten times exceeding the volume of national product exports and foreign investments.

This indicates that remittances from migrants play a key role in supporting the national economy and providing for households. Bobozoda emphasized that remittances from migrants are also an important source of financing for the economy of Tajikistan and contribute to the development of infrastructure and the improvement of the population’s living standards.

In addition to supporting their relatives and loved ones, migrants also assist in the construction of schools, roads, and other social facilities. The report notes that in 2023 alone, 206 facilities were built, with 300 million somoni allocated for these purposes.

Despite existing migration issues, remittances from migrants remain one of the main sources of economic development in Tajikistan. It is important to note that this statistic only includes cash transferred through money transfer systems and banks. Valuable goods and other products sent by migrants are not counted.

This is the first instance in which official representatives of the government have recognized the contribution of labor migrants to the national economy.

However, despite all the difficulties, pressures, and moral and physical torture that migrants face in some countries, especially in Russia, in most cases neither the government of Tajikistan nor the authorities of Russia attempt to assist migrants or ease their stay and work activities.