Facilitating Migration Projects
Central Asia Regional Migration Programme
This programme concerns labour migration, which has played a key part in reducing poverty levels in Tajikistan, since most communities in rural areas are affected by migration, mainly to the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan. Due to the complex nature of the labour migration this programme takes on comprehensive and holistic measures to promote policies and institutional procedures to respect, protect and fulfil labour migrants’ rights throughout the migration cycle.
Legal Empowerment for Migrant Households Headed by Women
Today nearly 300,000 Tajik women are considered abandoned by labour migrants. 91% of them have not received remittances in the last year, over half do not have consistent contact with the spouse, and the majority does not know his whereabouts. Nearly all are ignorant about their legal rights and unable to obtain information on assistance. This project will increase legal rights awareness of women heads of household, especially those who have been abandoned by migrant husbands.
MSCs provide labour migrants and potential labour migrants with legal information about travels, border crossing, customs check, housing, registration, work permit, employment agencies, travel and employment risks including human trafficking, information about access to medical service, medical insurance, taxation, remittance and about administrative punishment of violations of arrival orders.
Capacity Building in Migration Management
IOM is committed to assisting the government in developing a proactive policy and institutional framework to promote regular foreign employment. Since 2000, IOM has promoted policy reform by instigating the elaboration of a "national concept on labour migration", promoting the design of a labour migration programme, and organized training seminars for government officials to expose them to best practices of foreign employment.
Today's institutional framework of foreign employment within the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Tajikistan needs to be reformed to focus on (1) proactive analysis of foreign employment needs and practices, (2) promoting a merit and capacity based certification of skills allowing to profile potential migrant skills, (3) enhancing marketing capacity of foreign employment agencies, and (4) protecting migrant rights through official representations in destination countries.
Information and Skills for Labour Migrants
IOM also targets labour migrants directly with projects aimed at enhancing awareness and skills of labour migrants in compliance with migration and employment laws and labour market demands of transit and destination countries. Tajik labour migrants mostly work in Russia's informal sector and need to be prepared in order to be better protected and make the most of their working abroad.
This means they need more information on everything related to the trip and work abroad including travel, required identity documents, registration, work permits, employment agencies, travel and employment risks including human trafficking, health risks, health care access, bank contacts to send remittances, help contacts in destination, and other. IOM has developed a series of awareness raising strategies including the Information Resource Centre for Labour Migrants, a TV and radio information campaign, sponsoring of mobile theatre creations and performances, support to a network of NGOs to conduct proactive grassroot outreach in schools and mahallas, together with dissemination of over a million catchy and useful fliers and hand out material, as well as operation of telephone information hotlines.
Labour migrants also need valuable skills that are in demand in Russia to improve their chances of accessing better-protected jobs. This include better Russian language skills and know-how on the practices and techniques in masonry, carpentry and plumbing would also help. Many Tajik migrants need yet to be convinced of the need to spend time to learn these new skills. To make migrants' mindset open to learning, an information campaign is needed focusing a lot of attention on the necessary skills that Tajik migrants can and need to acquire. In parallel, IOM is looking at ways to improve educational and vocational training projects.
The Embassy of Canada in Moscow has subcontracted IOM to perform courier services and facilitate visa application process for citizens of Tajikistan. Although IOM Tajikistan has absolutely no role, whatsoever, in the assessment of Canadian visa applications, IOM trained staff will ensure that submitted applications are complete, and that all required supporting documentation is attached and translated into English as required.
