Kazakhstan May Soon Displace Other Central Asian Countries as Chief Supplier of Migrant Workers to Russia – and Expert Suggests That Will be a Good Thing

Paul Goble

            Staunton, May 19 – For the last two decades, Kazakhstan has provided relatively few migrant workers to the Russian economy when compared with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; but that is likely to change in the next five years. And if Kazakhstan assumes a leading position, that will bring Russia many advantages, Artyom Dankov says.

            The Tomsk University specialist on migration says that by the end of this decade, 300,000 Kazakhs will be entering the labor market in their own country; but Kazakhstan firms will only be able to provide 50,000 to 100,000 jobs Thus, many will be looking abroad and in the first instance to the Russian Federation (vz.ru/opinions/2025/5/16/1332564.html).

            There are five reasons why migrant workers from Kazakhstan will be more attractive than those from the other Central Asian countries: First, their educational level will be much higher than those from the others. Second, far more of them study and speak Russian than do those from elsewhere.

            Third, Kazakhstan is a much more civic and urbanized population. Fourth, the percent of ethnic Russians in Kazakhstan’s population is higher, mixed marriages more common, and the influence of Russian culture greater. And fifth, Kazakhstan is a member of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union, an arrangement that makes migration easier.

            If Dankov is correct, then Kazakhs could replace many of the Kyrgyz, Tajiks, and Uzbeks who now work in Russia, be employed in higher technology positions, and be more acceptable to more Russians than are those Central Asians from elsewhere.