DUSHANBE, April 30, Asia-Plus – An April 27 meeting organized by the OSCE Center in Dushanbe focused on ways of regulating labor migration and ensuring better protection of the rights of Tajik labor migrants.
The event, which was part of an OSCE-supported project to develop dialogue between the authorities and civil society, brought together some 70 government officials, representatives of political parties, media and national minorities, as well as members of non-governmental and international organizations.
Isomiddin Salohiddinov, an Adviser to the Tajik President, telling the meeting noted that 900,000 Tajik nationals have received passports for foreign travel, which became the main document for those who want to travel outside Tajikistan, since 2005.
“In all, Tajik citizens have lodged 902,000 passport applications,” Salohiddinov said, noting that 57,344 Tajik nationals have been deported from the Russian Federation over the past three years. “Last year alone, 37,385 Tajik were deported from Russia,” the adviser said.
Bess Brown, Economic Officer of the OSCE Center in Dushanbe, telling the meeting noted, “Since 2004, the OSCE has supported a joint OSCE-IOM information-resource center for labor migrants in Dushanbe which provides information and individual counseling on immigration issues, registration requirements and other relevant issues in the most popular destination countries.”
In 2006, the OSCE opened four information centers based on the model of the Dushanbe center in Khujand, Qurghon Teppa, Kulob and Shahritus. Another one will open in Istaravshan this year.
Frank Johansen, Political Officer of the OSCE Center in Dushanbe, representatives from Tajikistan’s ministries of labor and interior, local NGOs as well as senior representatives from the People’s Democratic (PDPT) and Islamic Revival (IRPT) parties also took part in the meeting’s work.
