DUSHANBE, December 21, 2013, Asia-Plus – Russia’s lower house (State Duma) of parliament has ratified a government-to-government agreement between the Russian Federation and Tajikistan on the rules of stay of Tajik nationals in Russia.

This agreement was signed in Moscow on February 9, 2013 on the basis of the memorandum of intent on easing some of the registration restrictions for Tajik migrant workers coming to Russia that was signed in Dushanbe on October 5, 2012.

The agreement on the rules of stay of Tajik nationals in Russia, in particular, provides for extending the period for registration for Tajik nationals on their arrival in Russia from seven to fifteen days.

Mohammad Egamzod, a spokesman for the Tajik Embassy in Moscow, believes that the agreement will promote creation of more favorable conditions for Tajik migrant workers in Russia.

“This step will promote further expansion of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and the Russian Federation in the field of migration,” Egamzod said. 

Labor migrants remain a critical component in the economy of Tajikistan and their remittances keep many families in the country above the poverty line.

Tajik migration service agency a total of some 910,000 people have migrated out of Tajikistan over the first eleven months of this year, 13.7% more compared to the same period last year, while 683,000 people have returned to Tajikistan over the same eleven-month period.