DUSHANBE, January 4, 2011, Asia-Plus – The Migration Center “Vostok” has begun to employ labor migrants from Tajikistan on the basis of organizational recruitment, Bakhtiyor Ismonov, representative of Tajik Migration Service’s office in the Russian Federation, announced at a meeting with heads of Tajik ethnic and cultural organizations in St. Petersburg on January 3.

According to him, the “Vostok” center is an affiliate of Tajik state unitary enterprise Tajikvneshtrud (external labor services) and it in partnership with Russia’s federal state unitary enterprise “Pasportno-Vizovy Servis” (Passport & Visa Service) is implementing a pilot project on the organizational recruitment of migrant workers from Tajikistan.

“The Center also makes available legal and consultative services related to registration and execution of papers,” Ismonov said.

He called on heads of Tajik ethnic and cultural organizations functioning in St. Petersburg to cooperate more actively with the Migration Center.

The meeting participants stressed that there were two main tasks today: 1) providing assistance to labor migrants with tackling problems facing them; 2) and forming positive image of Tajik, in particular labor migrant, in the Russian Federation.

Head of the “Pamir” public association, Bakhtibek Berdov, proposed to organize vocational training courses for Tajik labor migrants at vocational and training school # 89 in St. Petersburg.

Four Tajik ethnic and cultural organizations now function in St. Petersburg: the Society of Friendship between the Russian and Tajik Peoples “Somoniyon”; the “Pamir” Public Association; the “Ajam” Public Association; and the Society of Students from Tajikistan.