Mobility between Central Asia (CA) and towards Kazakhstan (KAZ) represents one of the largest and most important labor migration corridors in the world.  The CA countries’ economies are dependent to a varying, but comparatively high degrees on the remittances sent back by migrant workers abroad. This makes the economies vulnerable to political and economic shocks, such as those resulting from the war in Ukraine and sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation.

Given visa-free movement between CA countries, as well as free labor mobility among Eurasian Economic Union Member States, and the longstanding historical mobility in the region, the vast majority of migration occurs in an unstructured manner. Prospective migrants mostly use social networks to plan their migration and seek employment upon arrival at destination. Such types of mobility create challenges for countries of origin and destination, as well as for prospective migrants and employers. They include a lack of skills matching and a resulting lower productivity of employees, little or no investments in the upskilling of migrants (as they are seen as a “cheap” labor force), and unaddressed exploitative practices due to widespread informality. There is a growing awareness among governments in the region of the need to develop the recruitment industry and to diversify the countries of destination in order to create better opportunities for workers and to reduce dependence on the Russian economy and labour market.

(Prospective) migrant workers, their families and migrant returnees will benefit from

(i) access to skills training and improved job opportunities in KAZ and targeted destination countries; (ii) improved preparedness training and capacity to protect themselves from potential abuse and; (iii) improved training and tools to facilitate longer-term planning in regards to skills development, savings and remittances.

At least 49’000 migrant workers will benefit from recruitment services enabling them to access safe and decent job opportunities; at least 1’500 migrant workers will have improved their employability and at least 1’200 will have found a new or better employment.

At least 29’000 prospective migrant workers will have accessed pre-departure orientation programs and 4’000 will have received support services in targeted countries of destination.

At least 20’000 migrant workers and remittance recipients have been sensitized and trained on remittance management and financial inclusion.

1. Governments and other stakeholders develop coordination mechanisms to identify labor migration challenges and regularly adapt and improve labor migration policy and processes in the region.
2. Recruitment agencies and vocational training centres improve services to better anticipate and respond to labor market needs as well as to the needs and priorities of male and female prospective migrant workers.
3. Employers in targeted sectors adjust their recruitment practices to engage in managed ethical labor migration programmes in Central Asia.
4. Prospective migrant workers are better informed and prepared to protect themselves in recruitment and migration.
5. Migrants and their families achieve greater financial inclusion and uptake of financial services to sustainably improve their livelihoods.
6. Governents in countries of origin incorporate return migration and need of returnees into economic development planning and social protection plans.

Expected results:  

-    Regional and national coordination mechanisms established gathering governments and key stakeholders involved in labour migration;

-   Capacity building and technical support for the Government of Kazakhstan to enhance labour migration governance and effectively implement its Migration Policy Concept;    

-    Key performance indicators and monitoring systems established for recruitment agencies in countries of origin to effectively measure performance, incl. on skills-matching and orientation;

-    Employers in targeted sectors and in targeted countries of destination have increased awareness of the availability, value and how to access managed recruitment services in Central Asia;

-    Pre-departure orientation for female and male prospective migrant workers is strengthened, facilitating access to social protection at destination and fostering financial inclusion for migrants and their family members.

-    Remittance and financial products tailored to the migrants’ needs are developed and piloted with a particular focus on Kazakhstan.

-   Governments recieve policy-relevant information on return migration trends and are able to mainstream return migration into economic and social development planning.

-    The know-how of Switzerland and its partners (safe labor migration, decent work, vocational training, financial inclusion) is leveraged throughout the program.

Results from previous phases:  

-    The SDC-financed Covid-19 response initiative in the region (2019-21) provided updated information on migration trends and profiles, including gender-specific vulnerabilities, as well as research on financial inclusion / remittances (supply & demand side).

·    While remittances significantly contribute to poverty reduction in Central Asia, low rates of financial inclusion and weak financial literacy limit the potential value of remittances to contribute to livelihood planning and economic investments for migrants and their families.

Complementary preparatory works during the inception included the following:

-    Employer survey: occupation opportunities identified where managed recruitment would add value to the prospective employers and migrants

-    Survey of prospective migrant workers and returnees, informing the training design and recruitment structures

-    Consultative regional meetings with identified stakeholders from government, civil society and the private sector in order to fine-tune the project’s design and to confirm stakeholders’ buy-in and ownership.

The program builds on and is coordinated with the following SMFD programs and expertise:

• Labour migration programs in South-Asia & Gulf States, IRIS, FAIR
• Financial inclusion programs in cooperation with UNCDF; Swiss Call to Action on Remittances in Crisis

It will also leverage synergies with Swiss-supported programs in Central Asia, in line with the strategic priorities set in the Regional Cooperation Program for Central Asia 2020-2025, such as:

SDC VET Program in Uzbekistan, programs in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, mainly under the "Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Development" domain.:

IOM initiatives will complement this regional program.