Uzbekistan’s Transformation with the New Uzbek Strategy: Shifting Policies towards Mediation of Labor Migration through Migration Infrastructure

Yıl 2021, , 157 - 171, 31.12.2021

Zahide Erdoğan

https://doi.org/10.33206/mjss.992826

Cited By: 1

Öz

Because of the post-independence economic problems in Central Asian countries, Russia became the center of immigration, but as time passed, immigration shifted to Kazakhstan and Turkey. Uzbekistan is the most populous Central Asian country and the one that benefits the most from worker remittances. The New Uzbek Strategy, announced after Mirziyoyev's election in 2016, is transforming economy and society of the country. This paper aims to examine migration infrastructure through the New Uzbek Strategy as the way of protecting citizens abroad. It is critical to protect the rights of migrant workers in the destination countries to keep them from facing marginalization, exclusion, and poverty. Migration infrastructure is made up of regulatory, commercial, technological, humanitarian, and social elements. In this framework, the new Ministry of Labor structure, bilateral agreements, labor market regulation, allowing private recruitment companies, railway projects, development of cooperation with international organizations, and migrant networks all indicate the development of migration infrastructure components. In addition to economic liberalization, good neighborhood relations and foreign policy are important to develop migration infrastructure and institutionalization of migration. As a result, it is expected that the migration infrastructure development will increase migration, diversify of the countries and be beneficial to economic growth and transformation the country. Although these studies are still in their early stages, it has been concluded that significant steps have been taken in the infrastructure development, and the safe and regular migration will increase migration to the new destination countries in the future .

Anahtar Kelimeler

Migration infrastructure, Labour Migrant’s Rights, Uzbekistan’s Transformation, Development, Migration Policy

Özbekistan’ın Yeni Özbek Stratejisi ile Dönüşümü: Politikaların Göç Altyapısı Yoluyla Emek Göçünün Arabuluculuğuna Yönelik Değiştirilmesi

Öz

Orta Asya ülkelerinin bağımsızlık sonrası ekonomik sorunları Rusya’nın göç merkezi olmasını sağlamış, ancak zaman içinde göç Rusya ile birlikte gelişen Kazakistan ve Türkiye’ye yönelmiştir. Özbekistan Orta Asya ülkeleri içinde nüfusu en kalabalık ülke ve işçi dövizlerinden en çok yararlanan ülkedir. 2016 yılında Mirziyoyev’in seçilmesiyle açıklanan Yeni Özbek Stratejisi ülkede ekonomik ve sosyal bir dönüşüm gerçekleştirmektedir. Bu makale, göç altyapısını yurtdışındaki vatandaşlarını korunmanın bir aracı olarak Yeni Özbek Stratejinden hareketle incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Göçmen işçilerin varış ülkelerinde haklarının korunması onların marjinalleşme, dışlanma ve yoksullukla karşılaşmasını önlemek için önemlidir. Göç altyapısı düzenleyici, ticari, teknolojik, insani ve sosyal bileşenlerden oluşmaktadır. Bu çerçevede, Çalışma Bakanlığının yeni yapısı, ikili anlaşmalar, iş piyasasının düzenlenmesi, özel işe alma şirketlerine izin verilmesi, demiryolu projeleri, uluslararası kuruluşlarla işbirliğinin geliştirilmesi ve göçmen ağları göç altyapısının bileşenlerinin geliştiğini göstermektedir. Ekonomik serbestleşmeyle birlikte komşularla iyi ilişkiler ve dış politika da göç altyapısının gelişmesinde ve göçün kurumsallaşmasında önemlidir. Sonuç olarak, göç altyapısı ile sağlanan gelişmenin göçü artıracağı, göçün yöneleceği ülkeleri çeşitlendireceği ve ülkenin ekonomik büyümesi ile dönüşüm için etkili olacağı düşünülmektedir. Söz konusu çalışmalar henüz yeni olmakla birlikte altyapının gelişmesine ilişkin önemli adımlar atıldığı, gelecekte güvenli ve düzenli göçün artacağı ve yeni ülkelere yöneleceği sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Göç Altyapısı, Göçmen Hakları, Özbekistan’ın Dönüşümü, Kalkınma, Göç Politikası

Kaynakça

• Abdullaeva, N. (2020). Tertiary student migration from Central Asia to Germany: Cases of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3- 658-29020-7
• ANI. (2020, December 24). Uzbekistan attracts USD 6.6 billion foreign direct investment in 2020. ANI News. https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/uzbekistan-attracts-usd-66-billion-foreign- direct-investment-in-202020201224120017/
• Bijak, J. (2006). Forecasting international migration: Selected theories, models, and methods [CEFMR Working Paper]. Central European Forum for Migration Research. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c67f/39cc621207bf34c63f371108a6021102744f.pdf?_ga=2.96226204.1262089157.1504957568-460371594.1504957568
• Castles, S., & Delgado Wise, R. (2008). Migration and development: Perspectives from the South. IOM International Organization for Migration.
• Dadabaev, T. (2020). De-securitizing the “Silk Road”: Uzbekistan’s cooperation agenda with Russia, China, Japan, and South Korea in the post-Karimov era. Journal of Eurasian Studies, 11(2), 174–187. https://doi.org/10.1177/1879366520943896
• Dadabaev, T., & Soipov, J. (2020). Craving jobs? Revisiting labor and educational migration from Uzbekistan to Japan and South Korea. Acta Via Serica, 5(2), 111–140. https://doi.org/10.22679/AVS.2020.5.2.005
• de Haas, H. (2021). A theory of migration: The aspirations-capabilities framework. Comparative Migration Studies, 9(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40878-020-00210-4
• Development Strategy Center. (2019, Noc). Development strategy center “One Belt, One Road”: Four initiatives of the Presıdent of Uzbekıstan. https://strategy.uz/index.php?news=693&lang=en
• Fazendeiro, B. T. (2017). Uzbekistan’s defensive self-reliance: Karimov’s foreign policy legacy. International Affairs, 93(2), 409-427. https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiw062
• Göç İdaresi Genel Müdürlüğü. (2020, March 1). Türkiye’nin vize muafiyeti tanıdığı ülkeler. https://www.goc.gov.tr/turkiyenin-vize-uygulamadigi-ulkeler
• Goss, J., & Lindquist, B. (1995). Conceptualizing international labor migration: A structuration perspective. International Migration Review, 29(2), 317–351. https://doi.org/10.2307/2546784
• Hagen-Zanker, J. (2008). Why do people migrate? A review of the theoretical literature (Working Paper MGSoG/2008/WP002; Issue MGSoG/2008/WP002). Maatricht Graduate School of Governance.
• Harris, J. R., & Todaro, M. P. (1970). Migration, unemployment and development: A two-sector analysis. The American Economic Review, 60(1), 126–142.
• Hashimova, U. (2021, April 19). Uzbekistan pushing to realize the Trans-Afghan Railroad. The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/uzbekistan-pushing-to-realize-the-trans-afghan-railroad/
• IOM. (2008). Migration in the Russian Federation: A Country Profile 2008. IOM. https://publications.iom.int/books/migration-russian-federation-country-profile-2008
• Islamov, B. (n.d.). Central Asian population in historical perspectives. Retrieved 29 August 2021, from https://www.ier.hit-u.ac.jp/COE/Japanese/Newsletter/No.14.english/Islamov.htm
• Kakhkharov, J., Ahunov, M., Parpiev, Z., & Wolfson, I. (2020). South-South migration: Remittances of labour migrants and household expenditures in Uzbekistan. International Migration, n/a(n/a). https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.12792
• Kemaloğlu, İ. (2020, February 21). Mirziyoyev’in ziyareti çerçevesinde Türkiye-Özbekistan ilişkileri [Anadolu Ajansı]. https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/analiz/mirziyoyev-in-ziyareti-cercevesinde-turkiye- ozbekistan-iliskileri/1740453
• Khashimov, S., Aisarina, Z., Nuranova, K., & Zhandayeva, R. (2020). Introducing the Central Asia migration tracker. The Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs. https://oxussociety.org/wp- content/uploads/2020/12/introducing-the-central-asia-migration-tracker-2.pdf
• Kleist, N., & Bjarnesen, J. (2019). MIASA WP_2019(3) Kleist_Bjarnesen_2.pdf [MIASA Working Paper No 2019 (3)]. University of Ghana. https://www.ug.edu.gh/mias-africa/
• Laruelle, M. (2007). Central Asian labor migrants in Russia: The ‘Diasporization’ of the Central Asian States? China and Eurasia Forum Quarterly, 5(3), 101–119.
• Lee, E. S. (1966). A theory of migration. Demography, 3(1), 47–57.
• Mansoor, A., & Quillin, B. (2006). Migration and remittances: Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union. The World Bank. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-0-8213-6233-4
• Massey, D. S. (1988). Economic development and international migration in comparative perspective. Population and Development Review, 14(3), 383. https://doi.org/10.2307/1972195
• Massey, D. S. (2015). Migration, Theory of. In International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (Vol. 15, pp. 466-471). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.31119-9
• Massey, D. S., Alarcon, R., Durand, J., & Gonzalez, H. (1987). Return to Aztlan: The social process of international migration from western Mexico. University of California Press.
• MEHNAT. (2021a, March 18). The Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations held a meeting with representatives of the International Organization for Migration. Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations of the Republic of Uzbekistan. https://mehnat.uz/en/news/the-ministry-of-employment-and-labour-relations-held-a-meeting-with-representatives-of-the-international-organization- for-migration
• MEHNAT. (2021b, August 19). The project “Capacity building in the field of preventing human trafficking in Uzbekistan” was presented. Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations of the Republic of Uzbekistan. https://mehnat.uz/en/news/the-project-capacity-building-in-the-field-of-preventing-human-trafficking-in-uzbekistan-was-presented
• Nikolova, M. (2021, January 22). South Korea is becoming a real alternative to Russia and China in Central Asia. Emerging Europe. https://emerging-europe.com/news/south-korea-is-becoming-a- real-alternative-to-russia-and-china-in-central-asia/
• President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. (2017, December 22). Послание Президента Республики Узбекистан Шавката Мирзиёева Олий Мажлису. https://president.uz/ru/lists/view/1371
• Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty. (2021, April 25). Unable to get to Russia, thousands Of Uzbeks look to Kyrgyzstan for jobs. RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. https://www.rferl.org/a/uzbeks-migration- kyrgyzstan-jobs/31221668.html
• Ravenstein, E. G. (1885). The Laws of migration. Journal of the Statistical Society of London, 48(2), 167–235.
• RBC. (2019, August 16). ФСБ впервые за 20 лет раскрыла число приехавших работать иностранцев. РБК. https://www.rbc.ru/economics/16/08/2019/5d5560979a7947af4fa8a883
• Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (2021). Relations between Turkey and Uzbekistan. Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs. https://www.mfa.gov.tr/relations-between-turkey-and- uzbekistan%20.en.mfa
• Sabates-Wheeler, R., & Waite, M. (2003). Migration and social protection: A concept paper. Development Research Centre on Migration, Globalisation and Poverty.
• Schenk, C. (2010). Open borders, closed minds: Russia’s changing migration policies: Liberalization or xenophobia? Demokratizatsiya: The Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization, 18(2), 101–121. https://doi.org/10.3200/DEMO.18.2.101-121
• Schmitz, A. (2020). Uzbekistan’s transformation: Strategies and perspectives (Version 1) [SWP Research Paper 12]. Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik German Institute for International and Security Affairs. https://www.swp-berlin.org/10.18449/2020RP12/
• Schulz, D. (2021, July 9). Russia loses credibility as Central Asian migrant destination. https://www.caspianpolicy.org/russia-loses-credibility-as-central-asian-migrant-destination/
• Seitz, W. (2019). International migration and household well-being: Evidence from Uzbekistan [Policy Research Working Paper 8910]. World Bank, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.1596/1813-9450- 8910
• Sibagatulina, Z. (2021). Embracing a dynamic future monumental shifts in Uzbek labour migration policy. Prague Process. https://www.pragueprocess.eu/en/migration- observatory/publications/document?id=284
• Sigona, N., Kato, J., & Kuznetsova, I. (2021). Migration infrastructures and the production of migrants’ irregularity in Japan and the United Kingdom. Comparative Migration Studies, 9(1), 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40878-021-00242-4
• The Moscow Times. (2019, March 14). Kremlin seeks Russian-speaking migrants to offset population decline. The Moscow Times. https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/03/14/kremlin-seeks- russian-speaking-migrants-to-offset-population-decline-a64806
• The Tashkent Times. (2017, August 2). Uzbekistan’s development strategy for 2017-2021 has been adopted following public consultation. https://tashkenttimes.uz/national/541-uzbekistan-s- development-strategy-for-2017-2021-has-been-adopted-following-discussion
• TÜİK. (2020, July 17). Uluslararası göç istatistikleri 2019. https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Uluslararasi-Goc-Istatistikleri-2019-33709
• UNESCAP. (2020, October 13). The good, the bad & the ugly: Migration in North and Central Asia. ESCAP. https://www.unescap.org/blog/good-bad-ugly-migration-north-and-central-asia
• United Nations. (2020). World population prospects 2019 - Volume II: Demographic profiles. UN. https://doi.org/10.18356/7707d011-en
• United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2021, August 22). International Migrant Stock 2019. Population Division (2019). https://population.un.org/wpp/
• United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Population Division. (2019). International migrant stock 2019 (United Nations database, POP/DB/MIG/Stock/Rev.2019). https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/migration/data/estimates2/estimates19.asp
• UZSTAT. (2021). ВНЕШНЕТОРГОВЫЙ ОБОРОТ РЕСПУБЛИКИ УЗБЕКИСТАН (предварительныеданные за январь-декабрь 2020 года). UZSTAT. https://stat.uz/images/uploads/docs/tashqi_savdo_dec_2020_ru.pdf
• V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University. (2015). Overview of rules on entry and residence of nationals of CIS member countries in the Russian Federation. https://eng.cfuv.ru/viza-i-migracionnaya- podderzhka/overview-of-rules-on-entry-and-residence-of-nationals-of-cis-member-countries-in-the-russian-federation
• World Bank. (2021a). Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$)—Uzbekistan | Data. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/BX.KLT.DINV.CD.WD?locations=UZ
• World Bank. (2021b). GDP per capita (current US$) | Data. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD
• World Bank. (2021c, May). Migration and remittances data. World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/migrationremittancesdiasporaissues/brief/migration-remittances-data
• Xiang, B., & Lindquist, J. (2014). Migration infrastructure. International Migration Review, 48(S1), 122–148. https://doi.org/10.1111/imre.12141
• Yakubov, Y. (2021, July 12). Opportunities and limits of cooperation between Uzbekistan and Russia. CABAR.Asia. https://cabar.asia/en/opportunities-and-limits-of-cooperation-between- uzbekistan-and-russia