TEHRAN (Iran News) – New Uzbekistan Protects and Supports the Legal Rights and Interests of Its Citizens Abroad. In the context of the deepening globalization of the world economy, the development of the international labor market and the expansion of cross-border flows of labor, labor migration is an objectively conditioned socio-economic process that provides employment and incomes for a significant number of able-bodied citizens and their families.
According to available data, today more than 2.5 million Uzbekistan citizens are abroad. They live, work and study in Russia, the republics of Central Asia, USA, South Korea, Japan, European and other countries. About 50 thousand Uzbek students study at foreign universities.
Their legal rights and interests outside the homeland are protected by the diplomatic missions and consular offices of the Republic of Uzbekistan. There is a solid legal framework governing this area. At the interstate level, documents have been signed and are being implemented that provide for the observance of the social and labor rights of citizens of Uzbekistan working outside the state.
Until 2017, 47 diplomatic missions and consular offices in foreign countries provided consular services to Uzbekistan citizens abroad. Over the past 4 years, taking into account the number of Uzbeks working in the near and far abroad, and in order to provide them with legal assistance and consular services, 8 more new consular offices have been opened – in St.Petersburg, Vladivostok, Rostov-on-Don, Kazan and Yekaterinburg in Russia, Almaty and Aktau in Kazakhstan, Guangzhou in China. The issues of opening general consulates in Saryagash (Kazakhstan), Tula, Samara and Saransk (Russia) are being considered.
From the first days as President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev identified support and cooperation with compatriots abroad as one of the important priorities of the state’s internal policy. This direction was also included in the Strategy for Development of the Republic in 2017-2021, having received its development and significantly improving the situation with the regulation of labor migration.
So, in July 2018, a Resolution of the President of Uzbekistan was adopted on additional measures to further improve the system of external labor migration. As part of its implementation, cardinal measures are being taken to expand organized forms of labor migration, ensure the protection of the labor and social rights of citizens leaving for work outside the republic, and expand the involvement of labor migrants who have returned from abroad in business and labor activities.
In August 2019, a decree was signed by the head of state “On measures to further strengthen the guarantees for the protection of citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan engaged in temporary labor activity abroad and their family members.” The document also aims at effective interaction between authorized bodies and heads of local authorities of the republic and foreign countries in creating decent living and working conditions for labor migrants and their families, as well as ensuring coordinated activities in this direction.
Measures have been taken to ensure the safety of citizens of Uzbekistan during their travel by transport outside the republic to carry out temporary labor activities.
In 2018, the Agency for External Labor Migration was created in the country under the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations, which, in accordance with the legislation, carries out activities in the field of regulation of labor migration and organized employment of Uzbeks abroad, based on international legal norms and rules, taking into account national interests of the state. The agency has its offices in Russia and the Republic of Korea, where the largest number of labor migrants from Uzbekistan is recorded. Work is underway to open offices of the Labor Migration Agency in Turkey, Latvia and Finland.
The way the state cares for its citizens abroad came to the fore in 2020, when the entire world was paralyzed by the coronavirus pandemic. Hundreds of thousands of Uzbeks who were abroad on business trips or travels, students and labor migrants, due to the interruption of international air, road and rail links, remained hostage to circumstances around the world, were not left in trouble. The Special Republican Commission, created in the country, in cooperation with the competent ministries and departments, organized hundreds of charter flights, which returned more than 600 thousand citizens to the country. In addition, through diplomatic and consular offices abroad, the necessary assistance was provided to over 100 thousand compatriots who found themselves in a difficult situation.
This serious challenge also demonstrated the solidarity of thousands of Uzbeks around the world who are successfully building their careers in international and foreign companies, banks, entrepreneurs and students. They rallied in order to organize a fundraiser and send humanitarian aid to the country.
This serious challenge also demonstrated the solidarity of thousands of Uzbeks around the world who are successfully building their careers in international and foreign companies, banks, entrepreneurs and students. They rallied in order to organize a fundraiser and send humanitarian aid to the country.
And today Uzbeks abroad make a worthy contribution to the development of the economy, social sphere, science, culture, sports and other spheres of the country, raising the prestige of their historical homeland – Uzbekistan and strengthening its mutually beneficial ties with the outside world.
This is largely the result of the efforts of the President of the country, who elevated this direction to the rank of state policy. The government adopted a number of documents, developed and approved the Concept of state policy in the field of cooperation with compatriots living abroad. All efforts are aimed at assisting in the realization of the rights and freedoms of compatriots abroad in accordance with generally recognized principles and norms of international law, the legislation of the country of residence and on the basis of international treaties of Uzbekistan.
The activities of the Uzbek people are supported in every possible way, aimed at the wide dissemination of the cultural, scientific and spiritual heritage of Uzbekistan. There are many examples of active participation in entrepreneurial, investment, scientific, educational and cultural activities in the country.
In order to protect the rights and interests of Uzbek youth studying and working abroad, the World Youth Association of Uzbekistan was established. It included active young people working and studying abroad, not indifferent to the transformation processes taking place in their homeland. Today, representatives of the World Youth Association of Uzbekistan carry out their activities in China, Russia, Germany, Turkey and Japan.
The goals and objectives of the Association are summarizing and analyzing the problems and aspirations of Uzbek youth abroad, creating a database and maintaining contacts, attracting qualified Uzbeks living abroad to projects of national importance being implemented in the country, as well as attracting young specialists to the activities of ministries, departments and higher educational institutions on a competitive basis, cooperation with diplomatic missions of Uzbekistan, assistance in adaptation, returning compatriots to their historical homeland, as well as assistance in finding their place in society, protection from various threats (extremism, terrorism, organized crime, human trafficking) , provision of legal and psychological assistance to young people who have found themselves in unfavorable circumstances or who have become victims of such circumstances, and much more.
A new approach in this area creates a basis for effective cooperation with organizations of the Uzbek diaspora abroad in the interests of our compatriots. To date, partnerships have been established with more than 150 such organizations.
In addition, the “El-Yurt Umidi” Foundation, created in 2018 at the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan, in addition to training the country’s intellectual elite, is engaged in establishing a constant dialogue with compatriots living abroad and possessing modern knowledge, skills and advanced scientific and practical experience.
In a word, the dialogue of the state with its citizens around the world is strengthening, as the trust and confidence of the Uzbek people in the support and care of the state is strengthening, their active participation and assistance to reforms in the republic are increasing. And this can truly be called an important phenomenon of the renewed foreign policy of the new Uzbekistan.
