DUSHANBE, July 12, 2013, Asia-Plus -- The Migration Service under the Government of Tajikistan reports that a total of 571,000 persons have left Tajikistan over the first six months of this year.

Of them, more than 480 persons, including 51,000 women, have reportedly left the country seeking better employment opportunities: more than 472 persons have traveled to Russia and some 7,000 persons have traveled to Kazakhstan.

The migration service agency’s press center says more than 230,000 persons, including more than 33,000 women, have returned to the country over the same six-month period.

An estimated 745,000 Tajik seasonal workers, including more than 87,000 women, traveled abroad last year, primarily to Russia but also to neighboring Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, according to the migrations service agency.

According to data of Russia’s Federal Migration Service (FMS), some 1.1 million Tajik seasonal workers travel to Russia each year.