President of Uzbekistan signed a decree to support labor migrants on April 4th. The decree transforms the Agency for External Labor Migration under the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction from a state enterprise to a state institution. The agency will be led by one of the deputy ministers of employment and poverty reduction, making the position dual.
Embassies and consulates of Uzbekistan in the UK, UAE, Hungary, Germany, Latvia, Poland, and Japan will appoint labor migration attaches. Starting from June 1, 2024, Uzbek citizens registered in the electronic labor migration program "Xorijda ish" and going for organized labor migration will receive compensation for various expenses.
Compensations will cover costs related to language and professional exams, work visa issuance, and travel tickets. To receive these compensations, citizens must apply through "Xorijda ish" or directly to the Agency for External Labor Migration, attaching supporting documents. Payments will be made within one month after the citizen's employment abroad to the designated bank account.
From the same date, insurance organizations will provide subsidies to cover life and health insurance premiums for citizens from low-income families recognized through the Unified Social Protection Register. This subsidy will be paid once a year per insured citizen.
The decree also outlines provisions for legal and financial assistance to citizens facing violence, forced labor, discrimination, or financial hardship during labor migration. The Ministry of Employment has two months to develop the procedures for subsidies, compensations, and other payments.
Additionally, negotiations will be held with foreign authorities to establish legal aid centers for labor migrants in London, Berlin, Istanbul, and Riyadh by 2024-2025. A round-the-clock call center will be set up by September 1, 2024, to assist labor migrants, with free calls for those dialing from abroad.
By July 1, 2025, a unified interdepartmental database will be created to track individuals leaving or entering Uzbekistan. The Ministry of Internal Affairs will provide monthly reports to the Agency for External Labor Migration on citizens leaving for more than 90 days.
Subsidies will also be available for organizations hiring returnees from labor migration, excluding budgetary and state enterprises. These subsidies will be paid monthly for 12 months per employee hired between June 1, 2024, and January 1, 2026, who worked abroad for three months or more and returned within a year.
Each neighborhood will conduct a census of returning labor migrants, providing reintegration support. Ensuring their official employment will be a key indicator of assistant governors' effectiveness, as stated in the decree.
The Ministry of Health is tasked with implementing free medical check-ups for returning labor migrants and their families, offering free medical care for those with significant illnesses. The National Agency for Social Protection will monitor the social welfare of families with members in labor migration from January 1, 2025, identifying their needs for social services and assistance. Social service centers will provide support to children of parents in labor migration.
