DUSHANBE, December 17, 2015, Asia-Plus — The project “Migrant Workers and Their Families: Empowered Institutions – Protected Rights” aim is to promote and protect the rights of Tajik migrant workers and the members of their families (MWATF) through improving capacity of Government Institutions (GI) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and enhancing the cooperation among these institutions, according to the Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan.
Most migrant workers from Tajikistan work in low paid and unskilled jobs. They face a variety of rights abuse and maltreatment in Russia. They are unfamiliar with their rights and responsibilities in the country where they usually work. As a result, they face many difficulties in employment, movement and lack access to services aimed at protecting their rights. In order to assist ordinary migrant workers the project increased capacity of 25 initiative groups (IGs) and self-help groups (SHGs) of migrant workers in protection of their rights and building a dialogue with government agencies through providing trainings.
“This project made changes in our life. Before the project, we did not feel confident whom to address problems related to migration, since the government employees did not always understood who might help us. After trainings and joint meetings with local authorities, we became aware of the services delivered by government institutions” – said Saidhamza Karimov, IG member, Jamoat Mashal, Vakhsh district.
Provided information on the rights of migrant workers and their families, available legal remedies, services and referral system to migrant workers and their families in Tajikistan and Russian Federation through ICT (telephone, SMS, email, website). Increased capacity of 160 government representatives working with migrant workers and their families in regulation of migration processes at national and local level through providing trainings with involvement of international and local experts. The project also increased capacity of Civil Society Organizations (CSO) through training program.
The project is funded by the European Union and implemented by DanChurchAid (DCA) Central Asia acting in partnership with the Public Organization “Human Rights Centre” (HRC), Public Organization “Ghamkhori” (Gh) and Public Organization “Civil Initiative in Development” (CID) in Tajikistan. Budget of MWATF consisted of EUR 300,000 provided by the European Union and EUR 160,000 provided by the lead implementing organization DanChurchAid. The project is under the “European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) Country Based Support Schemes (CBSS)” programme – and implemented in Tajikistan on February 2014 and will be completed this month with a main focus on Dushanbe, Hissor district, Khatlon province (Vakhsh, Bokhtar, Jomi) locations.
