Around table “Attracting the potential of labor migrants to development processes in Kyrgyzstan” was held last week in Bishkek. During the event, new data from the conducted research in the field of migration were presented.
In recent years, migration has gained global recognition as a driver of development. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes the contribution of migration to sustainable development and calls for well-designed migration policies to promote orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration.
Migration in Kyrgyzstan is a multifaceted reality requiring urgent action and greater policy coherence, both at the national and local levels. Especially considering that more than a million Kyrgyz citizens are in seasonal or permanent migration.
The main task of the government of the Kyrgyz Republic and development partners is to ensure sustainable socio-economic development of the country. Migration is one of the government’s priority issues, as evidenced by the recently adopted Concept of State Migration Policy until 2030. At the same time, there is a need to develop additional strategies and mechanisms aimed at understanding the benefits and gaining greater benefits from migration, as well as strengthening the contribution of migrants to sustainable development processes in order to reorient the country’s migration agenda towards optimizing the opportunities presented by migration.
According to Almaz Asanov, head of the migration policy department of the Department of External Migration under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, in general, the Concept is aimed at attracting the potential of our migrants to the development of Kyrgyzstan. It assumes a long-term period and is divided into two stages. In order to implement the Concept, an action plan has been developed with the participation of experts and international organizations, which is currently under interdepartmental agreement.
“The action plan provides for employment, this is one of the main priorities. The main focus is on the development of financial literacy among migrants, in particular: how exactly to manage their money; what areas to invest in; how to develop small and medium-sized businesses. We also envisage a pilot project called Mekenim. In particular, conducting certain courses with the involvement of donors with the participation of government agencies, including financial institutions. We want to teach you how to invest the money you earn. We do not want them to take loans, ”Asanov said.
Migrants themselves wishing to take part in the development of Kyrgyzstan would like to have a reliable and understandable platform for working with Kyrgyzstan. According to the head of the IOM office in Kyrgyzstan, Bermet Moldobaeva, there is still no single platform in the republic that is requested by migrants.
“They say that they would like to have a dialogue with line ministries and departments, work. They do not know in which projects they could invest, in which regions, where they are awaited. For this, platforms are tedious, which would allow them to see and receive all this information. Let’s say we have a huge number of high-level migrant doctors, they are ready to come, operate on the poor for free, do those operations for which they collect funds from us and send them abroad. They are ready to do it here, but they want to understand who they should contact to offer their services, how they could contribute, and so on. We need to understand from which side, which department will be interested in attracting their expertise, financial and investment potential, where and in which sectors. They want to know the field of business, they have their own interests, they want to understand whether they are expected here at all. And of course, this platform, which needs to be created, must convince them that they are welcomed here and supported. For this, we will work out several directions and programs at once to connect these two shores, ”Moldobaeva said.
Gava of the IOM office emphasized that in order to mobilize financial and expert potential for the development of Kyrgyzstan, local authorities should be involved as the most interested parties.
“Because if LSG would like to develop their village or region with the support of migrants, they must work with them. They shouldn’t just expect someone to come and do it. You have to work with them. The creation of a ministry is not their main need, they would like to see the interest, first of all, on the part of Kyrgyzstan in their contribution. They say all the time, we are ready, look at us, but we need conditions. Let’s assume it’s elementary. After all, organizing the arrival of highly qualified doctors here is also a whole process. They are actually ready to come with skills and professionalism, but they need an operating room, they need someone to organize those who need treatment, they are ready to come here for a week for two and carry out a number of complex operations, but they are not ready to organize it all. Someone has to organize all this, they say if help is needed, they are willing to lend their skills. Migrants are ready to organize charity events, collect money, but they do not know what projects to send them to, what needs, who needs them. They would like to have reliable partners here whom they can trust. There are migrants who are ready to organize assistance to their village. But first of all, LSGs should be interested in this. Let’s say they want to build a bridge so villagers can get to school faster. They are ready to fund, but what happens? They must order the project themselves, must come, purchase, study and do it all by themselves. But if we unite efforts with the local self-government, which should be more interested in construction, this could be done faster, more efficiently and more clearly for everyone, ”Moldobaeva explained.
Migration as a phenomenon requires a participatory approach. The Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, the International Organization for Migration, UNDP and other stakeholders should unite their efforts in order to implement migration policy throughout the country, relying on the competitive advantages and experience of each other. Capitalizing on the positive effects of migration for development requires continuing to work together to forge and strengthen development partnerships, national and local governments, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, migrants and others. This approach is also important for leveraging the knowledge, experience, investment and remittances of migrants to advance the national agenda.
Source: Kyrgyz National News Agency