DUSHANBE, December 25, 2015, Asia-Plus – The fourth session of the Dushanbe legislature (Majlis) took place on December 24.

Speaking at the session, Dushanbe Mayor Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloyev reminded the legislature members of forecasts of massive return of Tajik labor migrants from foreign countries because of economic crisis in those countries.

The mayor reportedly ordered the Dushanbe department for labor migration and employment of population to take urgent measures together with relevant agencies to ensure creation of new jobs.

Ubaidulloyev also ordered to reorganize activity of labor exchanges in compliance with requirements of the labor market.

Over the first eleven years of this year, unemployment benefits totaling 466,000 somoni have been paid to 704 officially registered unemployed in Dushanbe, according to the Dushanbe mayor’s office.

The lack of opportunity combined with a booming birthrate caused many able-bodied Tajik males to emigrate for work, primarily to Russia.

But the worsening employment situation in Russia for foreigners, brought about by both the tightening Western sanctions and the global plummet in oil prices, have combined to cut drastically the number of Tajiks approved to work in Russia.

Meanwhile, Tajikistan is the world’s most remittance dependent country, with remittances constituting 45 percent of GDP in 2014.  Last year, Tajikistan’s GDP stood at 45.6 billion somoni (equivalent to 8.6 billion U.S. dollars).