Hundreds of thousands of Tajik migrant labourers are stuck in Russia as the latter has locked down its borders to contain the novel coronavirus, with little to no efforts being made by the Tajikistan government to repatriate its citizens. As the Russian economy has come to a sudden halt, migrant labourers who rely on daily wages to send money to their families back home have no income or means to return home.
The bureaucratic hierarchy among migrant labourers from Central Asia in Russia prioritizes Kyrgyz nationals due to the country’s membership in the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union. Tajiks and Uzbeks, on the other hand, need to pay a monthly fee of nearly $75 to maintain their work permits. The Russian administration did provide some relief, however, by announcing that, given the current conditions, foreign nationals will not be penalized for overstaying their permits without authorization. Tajikistan’s ambassador to Moscow, Imomuddin Sattorov, has also pleaded with Russian employers to refrain from laying off Tajik workers.
But this does not solve the crux of the issue, which is that most of these labourers, who live paycheck-to-paycheck, have been indefinitely furloughed without pay as businesses and construction have closed down. This makes it extremely difficult for them to sustain living costs in a relatively expensive country and concurrently makes it virtually impossible for them to send money back home, leading many to undertake illegal work. These uncertainties have prompted wealthier Tajik nationals in Russia to shelter and feed their fellow citizens as authorities back home have taken no action for repatriation or relief.
On 3 April, Russia estimated that there were 507,000 Tajik nationals in its territory. All routes for these nationals to return home have been suspended. The Tajikistan government insists that it still does not have a single positive COVID-19 case, and has instead registered a death by swine flu on 20 April.
Image Source: Eurasianet
Tajikistan Makes No Attempts to Repatriate 500,000+ Nationals Stuck in Russia
Tajik authorities also continue to insist that the country has no COVID-19 positive cases.
April 22, 2020
