There are increasingly fewer labour migrants from Uzbekistan in Russia
Uzbekistan
Labour migration from Uzbekistan to Russia has decreased fourfold, according to the information resource BFM.ru, citing the spokesperson of the republic's president, Sherzod Asadov.
According to him, since 2016, the number of people going to work in Russia from Uzbekistan has fallen from 4–6 million to 1 million. Asadov attributes this reduction in the flow of Uzbek migrants to the "effectiveness of the economic reforms" being carried out in the republic.
While the reforms in Uzbekistan can indeed be considered effective, the numbers presented do not align with reality, says migration expert Vadim Kozhenov.
"Year by year, the number of migrants from Uzbekistan gradually decreases. At its peak, probably in 2017-2018, there were 2.5 million, which was the highest number. Then their president changed, very significant reforms were implemented, and their economy started to grow strongly. After the pandemic, we have seen a reduction of around 100-150 thousand people per year coming to Russia from Uzbekistan because the economy there is truly growing. Many now think that they will work for a while and then return home. Additionally, the number of applications for citizenship from Uzbek citizens has halved, indicating less interest in obtaining a Russian passport. The decrease is minor; almost 2 million citizens of Uzbekistan still come and work here, and their country has a total population of 33 million, meaning roughly 7-8% of the country's population is in Russia. Unlike the citizens of Kyrgyzstan, where women migrate more actively, migrants from Uzbekistan are predominantly men," he said.
In turn, the president of the Uzbek National-Cultural Autonomy of St. Petersburg, Suratbek Abdurakhimov, noted that currently, migrants from Uzbekistan prefer to seek work in Europe, Türkiye, or the Middle East, where the pay is higher. According to him, in Russia, the wages for Uzbeks have equalled the earnings in Tashkent.
While the reforms in Uzbekistan can indeed be considered effective, the numbers presented do not align with reality, says migration expert Vadim Kozhenov.
"Year by year, the number of migrants from Uzbekistan gradually decreases. At its peak, probably in 2017-2018, there were 2.5 million, which was the highest number. Then their president changed, very significant reforms were implemented, and their economy started to grow strongly. After the pandemic, we have seen a reduction of around 100-150 thousand people per year coming to Russia from Uzbekistan because the economy there is truly growing. Many now think that they will work for a while and then return home. Additionally, the number of applications for citizenship from Uzbek citizens has halved, indicating less interest in obtaining a Russian passport. The decrease is minor; almost 2 million citizens of Uzbekistan still come and work here, and their country has a total population of 33 million, meaning roughly 7-8% of the country's population is in Russia. Unlike the citizens of Kyrgyzstan, where women migrate more actively, migrants from Uzbekistan are predominantly men," he said.
In turn, the president of the Uzbek National-Cultural Autonomy of St. Petersburg, Suratbek Abdurakhimov, noted that currently, migrants from Uzbekistan prefer to seek work in Europe, Türkiye, or the Middle East, where the pay is higher. According to him, in Russia, the wages for Uzbeks have equalled the earnings in Tashkent.
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