Measures to improve the efficiency of the Migration Agency reviewed

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed measures aimed at organizing orderly external labor migration, preparing citizens for high-paying jobs, and ensuring their comprehensive protection abroad.

Currently, Uzbek citizens work in nearly 40 countries, with the number employed abroad reaching 1.2 million. Demand for skilled workers in developed countries of Europe and East Asia continues to grow. In addition, the European Commission’s new migration strategy through 2030 places particular emphasis on cooperation with Central Asian countries, workforce training, and the prevention of illegal migration.

In this context, expanding the geography of external labor migration, primarily by entering high-income markets, has been identified as a key priority.

At present, orders have been received from foreign countries for more than 100,000 qualified specialists meeting language and professional requirements. In particular, Germany requires 40,000 nurses, while Japan needs 15,000 specialists in construction, logistics, and services.

Joint training programs implemented at technical colleges in cooperation with companies from Germany, the Republic of Korea, and Japan play an important role in meeting this demand. Under 12 such projects based on the “profession plus language” principle, 8,500 citizens are currently undergoing training, with 3,000 graduates already employed.

It is now planned to increase the number of such projects to 20 and expand training in in-demand modern professions and foreign languages by 50 percent, bringing total coverage to more than 10,000 people. In particular, the establishment of a targeted training center is planned in Tashkent, with facilities for training in 12 in-demand professions and 7 foreign languages, as well as for conducting examinations for six types of certificates, along with a campus accommodating 600 people.

Additionally, specialized training courses will be introduced at medical colleges in Andijan, Samarkand, Fergana, and Tashkent to prepare nurses for international language and professional certification exams. At the same time, measures will be taken to expand training and qualification assessment centers for construction specialists, including concretors, formworkers, rebar workers, and welders.

As part of efforts to improve regional infrastructure, it has been proposed to establish unified migration centers and local driving training hubs.

The need to expand opportunities for seasonal employment was noted. Based on 12 new international agreements in the agricultural and tourism sectors, instructions were given to develop cooperation in seasonal employment with countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Türkiye, and the Republic of Korea.

During the presentation, new financial mechanisms for organizing orderly migration were also discussed. In particular, it was proposed to introduce a procedure to compensate 50 percent of the costs of foreign language training and fully cover professional qualification exam fees, with funds to be provided directly to citizens rather than to training centers. A new system to incentivize foreign employers and recruiting agencies for each worker employed abroad was also considered.

Special attention was also paid to enhancing convenience and simplifying procedures for both employers and citizens by further improving the “Work Abroad” migration platform and introducing artificial intelligence technologies.

The Head of State emphasized that the Migration Agency’s activities should not be limited to external labor migration, but should also contribute to supplying the domestic labor market with qualified personnel.

Alongside facilitating legal and safe employment abroad, issues related to protecting citizens’ rights and interests were also discussed. The need for continuous monitoring of their health, living, and working conditions was stressed. To this end, support services have been established in 37 countries, providing social assistance to 48,000 citizens, legal aid to 17,000, and financial support to 6,000 individuals.

At the same time, the need was noted to regulate cases of employment without a permit by foreign citizens and stateless persons temporarily registered in the country. The importance of establishing interagency cooperation, analyzing and forecasting illegal migration, legalizing informal employment, and explaining national values and rules of stay in the country was emphasized.

The President approved the proposals and instructed responsible officials to organize external labor migration in line with modern requirements and ensure the broad implementation of digital solutions in this field.