Labour migrant resource centre provides valuable advice

For Avaz Yakubov and his wife Mehrinisso, the idea of travelling to Russia in search of work and a better future is a dream. But like thousands of other Tajik labour migrants facing similar decisions, without knowing the realities of what might await them when they arrive, that dream could prove to be a nightmare. "We want to know what job opportunities might exist for us in Russia. I heard that there is work for me, but I want to be sure what difficulties I might have," Avaz, an unemployed 31-year-old construction worker, told IRIN in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe. Although most labour migrants are single young males, Mehrinisso, 24 and five months pregnant, plans to accompany him. "We want to return once we have enough money to buy an apartment back here," she said candidly. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 630,000 Tajik citizens a year seasonally migrate abroad for work. Most go to Russia, but also to neighbouring Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan seeking work and a better life for their families. In doing so, many encounter difficulties in legally working once they arrive, leaving them open to abuse by unscrupulous employers abroad. "Many migrants find themselves in irregular situations abroad because of lack of information, preparedness and become victims of exploitation, harassment or even human trafficking," Frederic Chenais, IOM chief of mission in Dushanbe, told IRIN earlier. To mitigate those risks, the IOM has taken a variety of steps towards raising the awareness of potential migrants before they leave the country, including the establishment of an information resource centre. There, trained personnel make available accurate information related to labour migration, the legal, social, economic and cultural realities of transit and destination countries, and the risk of irregular migration. Almost 600 people, the vast majority of them men, have visited the IOM's resource centre in Dushanbe for labour migrants since it opened its doors on 14 January. The majority of visitors, some 65 percent, are between the age of 30 and 50, with 32 percent aged between 18 and 30. "Potential migrants, most of whom plan to work in Russia, receive information on employment opportunities and how to register legally once they arrive," Muzaffar Zaripov, the centre's head, told IRIN. "Other questions involve social, health, transport, remittances and education," he explained, describing the bureaucracy involved in legalising one's stay in the country as immense. Such issues are vital. While the Tajik authorities have downplayed the actual numbers of migrants each year - estimating them at closer to 350,000 - their impact on Tajik society cannot be dismissed. Fifty percent of Tajikistan's population - or some 3 million people - are dependent on the remittances sent from their family members working abroad. The combined value of money and goods reaching the country from its migrant workers in 2002 was between US $200 million and $230 million, a sum roughly equal to Tajikistan's annual budget. And with Moscow currently working to pass legislation limiting the number of illegal labour migrants arriving, the repercussions could be serious in the impoverished former Soviet republic, where such a high proportion of the adult population migrates abroad for work. "The main problem we face now is the legalisation of labour migration in Russia," Zaripov said. "Those labour migrants that do not register within three days of their arrival in Moscow are considered illegal," he explained, adding: "Those who cannot legalise their stay are deported and face penalties." Working with two full-time counsellors and support staff, the centre, funded by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) attempts to address some of these concerns, providing advice to people like Avaz Yakubov and his wife Mehrinisso on what they should expect once they arrive. "People want to know how to register themselves and how to find jobs," Mehrinisso Pirmatova, one of the counsellors at the centre told IRIN. "They ask about the risks of deportation, as well as social and health issues," she said. While there are a limited number of local NGOs working to raise awareness, the IOM centre in Dushanbe, the first of its kind in Central Asia, remains the only one providing direct professional counselling.