Belarusian leader backs Uzbek labour migration but demands strict regulation

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said the country should not be afraid of attracting foreign labour migrants, including from Uzbekistan, as the Belarusian economy requires additional workers.

According to Lukashenko, the issue of labour migration was discussed during the recent visit of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Minsk. He said that around 200 Uzbek citizens are ready to travel to Belarus in the near future, initially to work in the Vitebsk Region, Caliber.Az reports via Belarusian state media.

The Belarusian leader stressed that the recruitment of foreign workers is being carried out under strict supervision, including through the Interior Ministry’s monitoring system.

Lukashenko emphasised that labour migration should be regulated through a clear system in which employers are responsible for hiring foreign workers and overseeing their employment, stressing that the process must be conducted in an orderly manner rather than indiscriminately.

He added that preference would be given to workers arriving with their families and that additional training could be provided in Belarus if necessary.

“It would be great if everything were done by our own people, Belarusians. But we sometimes don’t have enough working hands, and sometimes our people just don’t want to work. We cannot do without hiring labor from outside,” he said.

Head of the Presidential Administration Dmitry Krutoi stated that Mirziyoyev personally oversees the process of sending labour migrants abroad and that only qualified specialists will be dispatched to Belarus.

According to Krutoi, approximately 7,000 Uzbek citizens are currently registered in Belarus, with many already employed across various sectors of the economy.

Lukashenko also emphasised that migrant workers should be provided with decent living conditions and enjoy equal rights with Belarusian citizens.

“Just come and work,” he added.

By Jeyhun Aghazada