DUSHANBE, February 13, 2009, Asia-Plus -- Return of Tajik labor migrants home due to the financial crisis may create additional problems for the country, and therefore, Tajikistan needs a flexible policy to make their return efficient, Zeynal Gadjiyev, head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Mission to Tajikistan, remarked at a roundtable meeting in Dushanbe on March 13.

A two-day (March 13-14) meeting entitled “Impact of the Global Financial Crisis on Labor Migration from Tajikistan” is staged by the Interagency Commission for Regulation of Migration Processes under the Government of Tajikistan in cooperation with the IOM under support of the OSCE, UNDP and other interested organizations.

The meeting, which is part of Central Asian Labor Migration Program implemented by IOM under financial support of the European Union, has brought together representatives from relevant ministries and organizations of Tajikistan and well as a number of diplomatic missions and international organizations active in the country to discuss ways to develop an active policy and practical measures to minimize risks of possible effects of the global financial crisis on migration processes from Tajikistan.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Gadjiyev pointed to the necessity of setting up a mobile and active coordinating body under the government that would be able to pool efforts of various ministries and organizations, associations of employers, private employment agencies, donors, as well as international and non-governmental organizations dealing with labor migration issues to minimize risks of possible effects of the global economic crisis on the labor migration processes.

According to him, the reorganized Interagency Commission for Regulation of Migration Processes could become such a body after inclusion of representatives of NGOs and international organizations into the commission and establishment of permanent groups on different direction and aspects of labor migration within it.

The IOM mission head also recommended that the government and all social partners aim main efforts at creating new jobs through improvement of business environment and investment climate, development of conditions for free competition in all sectors of economy and raising trust in banking system and monetary policy of the government.

The main objective of the meeting is in assisting the government of Tajikistan with minimizing risks of possible effects of the global financial crisis on migration processes from Tajikistan, maximally using of potential opportunities of development of migration and establishing dialogue between all sides interested in regulation of labor migration.