Ulugbek Abdurakhmanov conducted research on migration from Uzbekistan to Türkiye during his secondment at Marmara University in the frame of the MARS project. During his research stay, Ulugbek analyzed migration issues and tried to explore what drives people from Uzbekistan to emigrate to other countries, particularly Türkiye.
Uzbekistan, the most populous country in Central Asia, has experienced consistent population growth in recent years. In 2000, the population was 24,6 million, rising to 28,6 million in 2010 and 34,2 million by 2020, reaching 36,8 million in 2024. Population growth surged to 2,1% in 2020-2023, equivalent to an increase of about 700-800 thousand people annually (https://www.uzdaily.uz/ru/post/83013).
A significant part of the population (57%) belongs to the working age group. In 2023, out of 391,568 graduates from general education schools, 193 thousand were enrolled in universities. Every year, thousands of students continue their studies abroad. With a relatively weak economy, Uzbekistan is not able to create enough jobs for its citizens. Due to overpopulation and lack of employment opportunities, both skilled and unskilled Uzbeks move to other countries in search of jobs. The number of Uzbeks working abroad permanently exceeds 2 million people, with over 60% employed in Russia (https://upl.uz/economy/36377-news.html). Nevertheless, due to the war in Ukraine, ruble devaluation, and imposed sanctions has made Russia less attractive for Uzbek labor migrants, leading to a decrease in remittances from Russia in 2023 from 87% to 78%. These geopolitical shifts have intensified the diversification of labor migration from Uzbekistan to other countries. Other major destinations for migrants from Uzbekistan include Kazakhstan, Türkiye, the Gulf countries, South Korea, USA, and European countries.
Only in January-March of 2023, the number of compatriots who went abroad for work amounted to 486,1 thousand people, the geography of departure of migrants is mainly concentrated in such countries as Russia (70,2%), Kazakhstan (13,4%), Kyrgyzstan (8,7%), Türkiye (3.8%), Afghanistan (1,1%), Korea (0,6%), UAE (0,4%), etc. (https://strategy.uz/index.php?news=1813&lang=ru)
In 2018, Uzbekistan and Turkey signed an agreement “On Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families”.
This document regulates issues related to the protection of the rights of migrants from Uzbekistan, as well as members of their families in Turkey and vice versa Turkish migrants with families in Uzbekistan.
Within the framework of the agreement, migrants can carry out labour activities in the territory of the host state on the basis of contracts concluded with employers in accordance with the legislation. The parties also agreed that they will contribute in every possible way to the regulation of migration flows in their countries and cooperate in the suppression of irregular labour activities (https://uz.sputniknews.ru/20180502/turcia-uzbekistan-migranty-8097698.html).
As of October 2023, more than 52,8 thousand citizens of Uzbekistan received residence permits in Türkiye, the Main Department of the Migration Service reported. According to this indicator, Uzbekistan is in 7th place.
Uzbekistan also entered the top 5 countries, whose citizens received a short-term residence permit in Türkiye (more than 32,7 thousand). According to this indicator, the Republic of Uzbekistan was behind Iran (51,9 thousand), Syria (64,5 thousand), Turkmenistan (73,3 thousand), and Iraq (84,5 thousand). 10,9 thousand citizens of Uzbekistan received family residence permits (https://uz.kursiv.media/2023-10-17/skolko-uzbekistanczev-poluchili-vid-na-zhitelstvo-v-turczii/).
Analysis of the current situation in Uzbekistan indicates the existence of a number of significant problems, which, in our opinion, are the reasons for migration from Uzbekistan to other countries. One of the main problems is corruption, which in turn generates other related problems such as lack of quality education, equal opportunities, unemployment, environmental problems, discrimination, etc. Take the Agency for External Labor Migration, which is supposed to ensure the rights of all citizens going abroad to work. Over the past six years, there have been several examples of corruption scandals involving high-ranking officials. It should be noted that the majority of labour migrants do not use the services of this Agency, because according to the procedure of departure, it is required to have a certificate of compulsory professional training of persons going abroad for labour migration, in this regard, most citizens prefer, risking their safety independently to go to other countries. This circumstance largely contributes to their use of the services of dubious intermediaries or so-called “human traffickers”. In other words, due to corruption, Uzbek migrants try to find work abroad, putting their lives at risk.
So, what are the main push and pull factors for migration to Türkiye? In my opinion, there are several factors and I will try to list some of them: First, lack of quality education and desire to get better education abroad; Second, lack of work and intention to find a well-paid job in the destination country; Third, persecution for various reasons; Fourth, political regime and corruption; Fifth, environmental problems; Sixth, influence of well-developed Uzbek diaspora in the destination country; and the Seventh is to start a family after a failed marriage in Uzbekistan.
During my secondment, I tried to interview as many migrants from Uzbekistan as possible to learn more about migration from a personal perspective. One of my interviewees, whose name is “N”, aged 33, left for Turkey four years ago. In Tashkent, she worked as a teacher at a secondary school. After her divorce, left without a home with a child, she realized that she would not be able to raise her son on a schoolteacher’s salary.
“At first I tried to tutor, but then, I realized that I needed to radically change my life. A friend who married a Turkish citizen suggested that I try to start a new life in Istanbul. And I must say that I am very grateful to her. In Istanbul I realized that life can be brighter and more interesting. And although the work I do in Türkiye is not exactly what I dreamed of, I feel happy. Perhaps because there is a hope to buy a long-awaited house,” “N” said.
She has been taking care of an elderly woman in Türkiye for four years, whose sons pay her $500 a month. She does not pay for housing and food because she is on her employers’ welfare. She also noted that many people think that if you go to a foreign country, you will immediately find a job in your profession. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The first thing she encountered was not knowing the language. Although many Istanbul residents understand Russian and Uzbek, it is quite difficult to get a job in a profession. She has learned Turkish for 4 years. Today, she is collecting documents for a residence permit and dreams of buying a small apartment where she can live with her child.
My secondment helped me better understand why Uzbek people decide to emigrate, why they choose Türkiye, and how they adapt to their new lives.
https://ternopil.pp.ua
Wow! Finallly I got a website from where I know howw to genuinely
take helpful information concerning my studyy and knowledge. https://ternopil.pp.ua