DUSHANBE, September 27, 2013, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan’s migration service rejects reports by Russia’s Federal Migration Service (FMS) on the number o of Tajik migrant workers staying in the Russian Federation.
Speaking at a roundtable “Mass Media and Migration” in Dushanbe, Abdullo Qodiri, a spokesman for the Migration Service under the Government of Tajikistan, noted on September 27 that some media, referring to Russia’s FMA, have released controversial reports on the number of Tajik labor migrants working in Russia.
According to him, the real number of Tajik labor migrants working in Russia is much lower than the FMS data shows. “By mid-August this year, little more than 635,000 Tajik nationals have traveled to Russia, while more than 362,000 people have returned over the report period,” Mr. Qodiri said.
Meanwhile, according to the statistical data from Russia’s FMS, some 1.23 million Tajik nationals stayed in Russia as of August 31 this year.
Mr. Qodiri explains this contradiction by the fact that many our migrants cross Russian’s border four times a year and every time they are registered by Russian official bodies.
“Under the Russian legislation, foreign citizens who failed to get a job within 90 days must leave the territory of the Russian Federation,” said Qodiri. “Therefore, many our migrants, who failed to get a job in time, are forced to cross Russia’s border. Moreover, not all Tajik nationals who travel to Russia are migrant workers. Many of them travel to Russia on business or for studying or just to take a rest.”
“Besides, some 400,000 Tajik nationals have received Russian citizenship, using the fact that the Russian legislation allows dual citizenship,” noted Qodiri. “However, Russia’s FMS registers them as Tajik labor migrants.”
