A two-day national seminar titled “Working with Labour Migrants: Theoretical and Practical Approaches for Safe Adaptation and Ethics-Based Recruitment” kicked off on May 25 in the framework of EU-funded regional project PROTECT “Improving Migration Management and Migrant Protection in selected Silk Routes and Central Asian Countries”, implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), according to the Delegation of the European Union to Uzbekistan.
The event brought together representatives of the Migration Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan, private employment agencies (PEAs), international organisations, experts and migration practitioners to discuss practical measures aimed at promoting ethical recruitment practices, improving migrant preparedness and strengthening safer labour migration processes in Uzbekistan. The seminar placed particular emphasis on the role of private employment agencies in labour migration processes. Discussions focused on ethical recruitment standards, transparency, awareness of recruitment-related risks and practical cooperation on reducing risks related to fraud, exploitation and irregular migration.
“Migration is a cornerstone of EU-Uzbekistan cooperation, one that touches employment, skills, social protection, and regional stability. But at its heart, migration is about people: their safety, dignity, and right to make informed choices for their families,” said Toivo Klaar, EU Ambassador in Uzbekistan in his opening remarks.
The seminar also highlighted the work of the Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) in Tashkent, established under the EU-funded PROTECT project. Operating in close cooperation with the Migration Agency, the MRC provides counselling, outreach and referral support to people considering employment abroad, as well as to returning migrants and their families. In addition to in-person counselling, the MRC conducts outreach activities in universities, vocational training centres, mahallas and migrant-sending regions across Uzbekistan.
The Centre also works closely with labour attachés, diplomatic missions, NGOs and private employment agencies to improve access to reliable migration information and strengthen migrant protection. Through the PROTECT project, the EU continues supporting practical and people-centred migration cooperation in Uzbekistan and across Central Asia, aimed at strengthening migration governance, supporting safe and regular labour migration and improving protection for migrant workers and their families.
