The first migrants from Uzbekistan who arrived in Belarus under the employment program have expressed dissatisfaction with living conditions and salary levels. Residents of the Andijan region stated that the actual situation differs drastically from the promises made to them by the authorities.
Recently, 255 people from the Andijan region were sent to the Vitebsk region of Belarus. Before leaving, participants were guaranteed official employment, a stable income, decent housing conditions, and social guarantees. However, upon arrival, the migrants discovered that these conditions were not met.
In videos published on social networks, the migrants showed the dormitory where they are staying. According to employees, the premises are in unsatisfactory condition and do not meet the stated standards. Furthermore, the migrants are dissatisfied with the size of their compensation. They claim that the monthly salary is about 500 dollars, while they cover all food and daily living expenses themselves. According to their calculations, after covering all mandatory expenses, they are left with only about 200 dollars.
The workers believe that there is no point in continuing to stay abroad with such an income level. In their appeal, they addressed the Hokim of the Andijan region, Shukhrat Abdurakhmanov, asking for help in organizing their return home. The Migration Agency informed journalists that this situation is under control. Representatives of the agency and the Andijan regional government in Belarus are currently examining the relationship between employers and working migrants.
The Agency clarified that the dispatch of workers was organized by the Andijan regional government as part of a pilot project. If an employer violates the terms of the employment contract or refuses to pay the due salary, the migrants will be offered alternative work with another employer. According to the agency, the problem is planned to be resolved by the end of the current day. The Agency also reported that Uzbek investors are opening farms in Belarus, where the possibility of employing compatriots is being considered. According to the contracts, the average salary in such farms should reach 900–1000 dollars per month, with a maximum amount of 1,200 dollars. It is planned that around five thousand more citizens of Uzbekistan will be employed under this program in the future.
The first organized group of labor migrants from the Andijan region arrived in Belarus for temporary employment in the agricultural and livestock sectors. This group included 255 residents from the region.
This program is implemented based on a trilateral agreement between the Hokimiyat of the Andijan region, the Uzbekistan Agency for External Labor Migration, and the Committee for Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee of Belarus.
According to the Migration Agency, a simplified employment procedure was developed for project participants, which allows for expedited processing of necessary documents and organized departure for work.
Uzbek citizens were met at Vitebsk airport by local authorities and an official delegation from Uzbekistan led by the Hokim of the Andijan region, Shukhratbek Abdurakhmanov.
The Agency guarantees all program participants official employment, a decent salary, and necessary living conditions.
It is expected that the implementation of this project will expand employment opportunities for Uzbek citizens abroad and will also contribute to the development of interaction between Uzbekistan and Belarus in the field of organized labor migration.
The legal basis for such projects was created during the state visit of the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, to Belarus, when the parties signed an agreement on attracting Uzbek citizens for temporary work in Belarus.
At that time, the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, noting the shortage of labor in the country, invited Uzbek citizens to come and work, including their family members.
