Every third labor migrant found himself unemployed after returning to Tajikistan. This is stated in the annual report of the Representative Office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Tajikistan for 2025, prepared based on the results of the fifth round of research using the Mobility Tracking Matrix, Asiaplus.tj reported.
The survey covered 2,197 returning migrants in five regions and 12 districts of the country. According to the results of the study, the average monthly income of respondents while working abroad was $943, but after returning to Tajikistan it decreased more than three times - to $309.
Among the main reasons for returning, study participants named family circumstances, problems with documents, deportation, deteriorating health, and the deteriorating security situation in Russia. The IOM also notes that some migrants were forced to return due to restrictions on obtaining work permits and the completion of labor contracts.
According to the organization, the process of return migration affected all regions of the country, but it was most noticeable in the Sughd region and areas of republican subordination.
The results of the study indicate that return migration is becoming not only a social, but also an economic problem for Tajikistan. Significant declines in income and high levels of unemployment among returning migrants are increasing pressure on the labor market and social support system.
For a country where migrant remittances remain a key source of income for the population and an important factor in economic stability, declining employment opportunities abroad pose additional risks to domestic demand and living standards.
The data presented by the IOM also points to the need to expand programs for professional retraining, employment support and small business development in order to speed up the integration of returning citizens into the national economy and reduce the country’s dependence on external labor migration.
According to data for 2025, about 1 million people left Tajikistan for other countries, about 20% of whom were women. However, in 2026, the number of Tajik migrants decreased by 100 thousand people. The overwhelming majority of migrants work in Russia.
CentralAsianLIGHT.org
July 24, 2026