DUSHANBE, June 13, Asia-Plus - Russia’s Vedomosti cited Russian central bank as saying that over the first quarter of the year, labor migrants working in the Russian Federation have remitted to their homelands $1.373 billion. 

The totaled included $1.2 billion transferred by guest workers from the CIS states.

According to the Russian central bank, over the report period, Ukrainian labor workers have transferred to their homeland $220 million, Tajik labor migrants - $198 million, Uzbekistan - $178 million, Armenian guest workers - $133 million, labor migrants from Azerbaijan - $115 million, Moldavian labor migrants - $114 million and Georgian labor migrants - $102 million.

According to Tajik migration authorities, some 500,000 Tajik labor migrants are currently working in the Russian Federation, while experts assume that the number of Tajik labor migrants working in Russia is much higher than the official data shows.  According to them, some 1 million Tajik labor migrants are currently working in the Russian Federation.  

Labor migrants are a critical component in the economy of Tajikistan.  Remittances keep many struggling families at home above the poverty line, and help to alleviate the stress caused by a lack of domestic job opportunities. Migration remittance is considered one of the main sources of livelihood in Tajikistan, especially in rural areas.