The Ministry of Labor, Migration and Employment of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan says the 18th session of the Tajikistan-Russia intergovernmental commission for trade and economic cooperation, co-chaired by Tajik Prime Minister Qohir Rasoulzoda and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksey Overchuk, in particular, discussed labor migration cooperation issues. 

In this context, Overchuk reportedly noted that Russian specialist are currently working on developing a mobile application that will help potential labor migrants find work and get access to public services.  

According to him, they also plan to launch service that will allow people to receive reliable information about entry restrictions. 

Recall, a report released by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in September this year notes that that Tajikistan is heavily dependent on remittance income, 80% of which comes from about 1 million migrant workers in the Russian Federation.

But migrant workers now struggle to find jobs in sectors that have traditionally absorbed them, such as services and construction, because the Russian economy began contracting this year, according to the report.

Labor migrants are still a critical component in the economy of Tajikistan and remittances keep many struggling families at home above the poverty line.  

According to official data from the Tajik authorities, an estimated 600,000 Tajik seasonal workers travel abroad each year, primarily to Russia but also to neighboring Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. 

Tajikistan still has the lowest per capita income of all the former Soviet republics.  Migrant workers are thus of key importance in the country of 10 million.