Migration and Skills in Central Asia

by Burulcha Sulaimanova, Regional facilitator for Central Asia

Executive Summary

Migration plays a central role in shaping the socioeconomic landscape of Central Asia. While the region benefits significantly from remittance inflows, the nexus between labour migration and skills development remains notably underexplored. A large share of labour migration is seasonal and informal, (Ryazantsev[ET1] , S., Sadvokasova, A., & Jeenbaeva, J., 2021). and the skills acquired abroad are seldom certified or effectively reintegrated into the domestic labour market. This article examines recent trends in research, and advocates for coordinated regional efforts to enhance the developmental impact of migration through improved skills mobility and recognition.

Key Takeaways 

• Migration remains critical to national economies in Central Asia, particularly through remittances.

• Skills acquired abroad are underutilised due to informal migration and lack of certification mechanisms.

• Research on migration and skills is scarce, especially in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

• Regional collabouration, including platforms like SLNE, particularly its Migration Community, can drive progress in research on skills mobility and labour integration.

1. Introduction

In Central Asia, particularly in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, labour migration has long served as a strategy to cope with economic insecurity, unemployment and limited domestic job opportunities. It remains the most important source of financial income for millions of people across these countries. In 2024, remittances accounted for 45% of GDP in Tajikistan, marking one of the highest shares globally in recent years. (Bossavie et al., 2025). In Kyrgyzstan, remittances made up 24% of GDP, and in Uzbekistan, 14%. By working abroad, migrants often increase their income by two to three times, which significantly improves the living standards of their families. (Bossavie et al., 2025).

Russia continues to be the main destination, with nearly six million Central Asian migrants employed in sectors such as construction, services and logistics, according to Migration Data Portal (accessed in May 2025). According to 2023 data, over 80% of labour migrants from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan were working in Russia. (Ryazantsev, S., Sadvokasova, A., & Jeenbaeva, J., 2021) Migration flows from Uzbekistan were somewhat more diversified, with 57% of migrants heading to Russia.

However, beyond remittance figures, migration is also a personal and social phenomenon. Families use remittances to invest in education, healthcare and housing. (Wang et al., 2021), (Mishra et al., 2022). Migration also provides exposure to new technologies, workplace cultures and skillsets that could be valuable upon return. (Bedrina, E. B., & Lazareva, E. V, 2021), (Turaeva, R., & Urinboyev, R., 2021).

Despite this potential, many returning migrants struggle to find employment that reflects their international experience. (Ryazantsev, S., Khonkhodzhayev, F., Akramov, S., & Ryazantsev, N., 2021). The informal and fragmented nature of most labour migration means skill acquisition is often unstructured and undocumented. As a result, valuable human capital is underutilised, and its developmental potential remains largely unexploited.

2. The Missing Link: Migration and Skills

Although migration plays a central role in shaping the socioeconomic landscape of Central Asia, its intersection with skills development remains notably underexplored. A bibliometric analysis of the Web of Science database covering the period from 1991 to 2024 identified only 917 publications addressing themes related to “migration” or “skills” in the Central Asian context. (Van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L., 2022). While these studies span diverse disciplines, including economics, education, gender studies and sociology, very few provide systematic, evidence-based insights into how migrants acquire skills abroad, how those skills are recognised or utilised upon return, and how national labour systems support (or hinder) their reintegration.

Figure 1. Keyword occurrence in Central Asia Migration and Skills Research

Source: Author’s bibliometric analysis based on Web of Science database (1991–2024).

As you can see in figure 1, the earlier research largely focused on household-level impacts of migration, including gender roles, remittance use, child welfare and identity formation. While these areas are vital for understanding the social dimensions of migration, they leave a substantial gap in analysing migration’s developmental potential, particularly its role in human capital formation through vocational training, formal education, or informal skill acquisition.

In recent years, academic attention has increasingly shifted towards themes such as higher education, digital skills, and the use of digital tools in learning and employment. This shift reflects a growing recognition of how education systems are adapting to digital transformation and how digital competencies are becoming essential for successful participation in the labour market. However, despite this progress, few studies explore the intersection between digital skill development and migration. The potential for digital skills to influence migration decisions, facilitate employment abroad, or support reintegration upon return remains largely underexplored.

This gap is especially important given that labour migrants now rely heavily on digital platforms to search for jobs, acquire new competencies and maintain transnational networks. (Roland-Holst et al., 2022) Yet, research provides limited insight into how vocational education and training (VET) systems align with the realities of migration, how skills certification operates across borders, or how digital competencies are developed and leveraged by migrant workers. Similarly, the role of returning migrants as knowledge carriers, individuals who transfer skills, innovation and digital expertise, remains insufficiently studied. 

Figure 2. Co-authorship network by institutions in Central Asia Migration and Skills Research

Source: Author’s bibliometric analysis based on Web of Science database (1991–2024).

Institutional participation in this research field also varies significantly across the region. A substantial share of scholarly output originates from Kazakhstan, particularly from institutions such as Nazarbayev University, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, and Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. In contrast, academic contributions from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan remain limited, despite these countries being the largest sources of labour migrants in the region.

3. Toward Regional Solutions for Skills Mobility

To fully harness the developmental potential of migration, Central Asian countries need to move beyond the traditional, narrow focus on remittances and adopt a comprehensive, skills-based approach to labour mobility. While remittances provide vital financial support to millions of households, they represent only one dimension of migration’s broader socioeconomic impact.

Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan face shared challenges that hinder the effective utilisation of migrant-acquired skills. These challenges include the widespread informality of migration processes, the lack of standardised mechanisms for skills certification, and insufficient reintegration support for returnees seeking to translate their overseas experience into meaningful employment opportunities at home.

Addressing these barriers requires coordinated regional action. In this context, initiatives such as the Skills Lab Network of Experts (SLNE) and, more specifically, its thematic Migration community focused on the skills dimension of migration (MIGCOM) offer a promising way forward. This community aims to foster evidence-based dialogue, comparative research and strong institutional partnerships across Central Asia and beyond. Moreover, the community on migration will serve as a platform to convene experts, policymakers, educators and stakeholders to share knowledge, explore emerging global skills demands and design policies that reflect the realities of international labour mobility.

This collaborative approach is essential to bridge the gaps between migration dynamics and national labour market needs, ensuring that migrants’ skills contribute effectively to both local development and regional integration.

References

Bedrina, E. B., & Lazareva, E. V. (2021). Adaptation and integration of labour migrants from central Asia in Russia and countries of European Union: Comparative analysis. Экономика региона. 2021. Том 17, выпуск 1, 17(1), 170-181.

Bossavie, L., Garrote Sánchez, D., & Makovec, M. (2025). The journey ahead: Supporting successful migration in Europe and Central Asia. World Bank.

Migration Data Portal. Central Asia: Regional data overview. 31 January 2025. https://www.migrationdataportal.org/regional-data-overview/central-asia (accessed on May 2025)

Mishra, K., Kondratjeva, O., & Shively, G. E. (2022). Do remittances reshape household expenditures? Evidence from Nepal. World Development, 157, 105926.

Roland-Holst, D. W., Karymshakov, K., Sulaymanova, B., & Sultakeev, K. (2022). ICT, online search behavior, and remittances: Evidence from the Kyrgyz Republic (No. 1348). ADBI Working Paper.

Ryazantsev, S., Sadvokasova, A., & Jeenbaeva, J. (2021). Study of labour migration dynamics in the Central Asia–Russian Federation migration corridor. International Organization for Migration.

Ryazantsev, S., Khonkhodzhayev, F., Akramov, S., & Ryazantsev, N. (2021). Return Migration to Tajikistan: Forms, Trends, Consequences. Central Asia & the Caucasus (14046091), 21(2).

Turaeva, R., & Urinboyev, R. (2021). Introduction: Labour, mobilities and informal practices in Russia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. In Labour, Mobility and Informal Practices in Russia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe (pp. 1-16). Routledge.

Van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2022). VOSviewer manual. Manual for VOSviewer version 1 .6.18. Leiden: Univeristeit Leiden.

Wang, D., Hagedorn, A., & Chi, G. (2021). Remittances and household spending strategies: evidence from the Life in Kyrgyzstan Study, 2011–2013. Journal of ethnic and migration studies, 47(13), 3015-3036.