Overview of Migratory Situation in Kyrgyzstan: main challenges

1. Overview of Migratory Situation in Kyrgyzstan: main challenges Ministry of Labor, Migration and Youth of the Kyrgyz Republiuc Nurdin Tynaev Citizen Employment Center at the Ministry of Labor, Migration and Youth of the Kyrgyz Republic

2. The most mass migratory flowsto CIS and Far-abroad Countries, 1990 – 2010

3. Following the independence909 692 people went to CIS and far-abroad countries from the Kyrgyzstan territory, including: • to Russia– 653 465 people; • to Uzbekistan– 52 482 people; • to Kazakhstan– 84 931 people; • to other post-Soviet countries – 22 210 people; • To far-abroad countries – 96 604 people

4. Main reasons for migration can be classified by several groups: • Economical • During the period of economic transformations at the beginning of 90-es it was observed absence of demand of qualified specialists at the internal labor markets. • Unevenness of economical development of regions • Economy scales of the country do not create enough number of working places and not provide with sufficient rate of remuneration that complies to growing needs of population • More higher level of remuneration payment in labor migration countries. • Social • Worsening living conditions in the rural areas and small towns, increasing of number of depressive territories • Growing gap in the life quality between labor immigrant-out-countries and labor immigrant-in- countries. • Decreasing education and health care levels and associated with these the absence of vision of prospects for children future • Political • Social and political instability ( events on 25th of March 2005 and 7th April 2010 ) • Worsening of tension in the interethnic sphere and «playing» language card at the domestic-political stage (periodically rising discussions on the Russian language status)

5. Challenges of labor migration: • Lacking of the country integrated migration strategy; • Process of “dispopulation” in regions. Problem of population flow-offs from trans-boundary territories, in the result of which border “sliding down” is occurred; • Deficit of qualified specialists especially in remote areas. From one side the education system does not generate personnel required for the economy functioning, and from the other side, the low level of labor payment having growth of life cost, this fact makes to searching better conditions that would ensure acceptable level of life; • Mass migration flows are limited by only two directions, and any changes in the economic situation and migratory policy in destination countries would entail changing the situation in Kyrgyzstan; • Development of social and economical situation in the country gets in dependence against development of labor migration process and cash transfers by migrants.

6. Ratio of cash transfers against GDP, 2011

7. Money Transfers The analysis of structure on using money received by households confirms that from the amount of average annual remittance that makes USD 1419,the most part of cash remittances is spent by their recipients for the following current needs: • 55% of transfer is used for daily needs of their recipients; • 14% is spent for large purchases (home appliances, vehicles); • Part of transfers is used for the goods of investment character (around10%), including establishing and developing the entrepreneurial activity and also for improving the housing conditions; • 10% of total transfer amount is sent for the training and treatment; • The remaining part of cash transfers is spent for other needs of labor migrants and their families. The important expenditure item is investments to education - education of children.

8. Tasks of State Policy • Introducing the constantly operating mechanism for forecasting, monitoring and evaluation of need in labor resources to serve the national economy (in the context of special professions, by regions); • Renunciation from “point” regulation of internal and external employment , and transition to systemic principles of state regulation of employment, proposing making and informed decisions in this sphere based on special calculations justifications; • Reforming the management system on unemployment payments and developing the instruments to create socially important working positions including border areas, and micro financing.

9. Thank you very much for your attention!