According to Russian border service data cited by Vedomosti, despite the decline, Uzbekistan remained the largest source of labor migrants entering Russia for employment.
Between January and June, Uzbek citizens made more than 1.17 million entries to Russia for work. Tajikistan ranked second with 494,500 work-related entries, down 17.9% year-on-year, while Kyrgyzstan came third with 289,100 entries, a decline of 16.7%.
Combined, citizens of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan made around 1.9 million work-related entries into Russia during the first six months of the year, compared with more than 2.3 million a year earlier, representing an overall decrease of about 15%.
Alexander Safonov, a professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, attributed the decline in part to Russia's stricter migration policy and the rising cost of work permits. He also pointed to higher expenses faced by migrant workers, including medical examinations, housing and transportation.
According to Safonov, changing labor market conditions in Central Asia have also contributed to the trend. Growing Russian and Chinese investment in the region is creating new employment opportunities, while workers from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are increasingly seeking jobs not only in Russia, but also in South Korea, China, the Middle East and the European Union.
Anna Minushkina, chair of the Moscow Bar Association Minushkina and Partners, said foreign workers and their employers have become more diligent in complying with migration regulations. At the same time, she noted that Russian companies are increasingly considering hiring employees from visa-required countries, a shift that could further reshape the structure of labor migration.
