Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 17/ Trend , K. Zarbaliyeva/ The number of Chinese migrant workers in Azerbaijan has increased due to the global financial crisis, expert at Public Union on Protection of Migrants and IDPS' Rights Dayanat Musayev said.
The financial crisis has left 20 million people jobless in China. The move by the Russia's Federal Migration Service to cut migrant workers' quota by 50 percent also impacted flow of Chinese migrants to Azerbaijan.
Musayev said there are over 100,000 migrants from 70 countries in Azerbaijan. According to official statistics, over 54,000 migrants have been registered with the Interior Ministry. About 3,786 of them are permanent migrants; 1,954 of the lack citizenship. Migrants are mainly from Georgia, Central Asia, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, China and Nigeria.
Expert said migrants are divided into three categories: migrant workers, migrants who aim to get refugee status and those who use Azerbaijan as a transit country.
Musayev said majority of migrants are workers. According to unofficial statistics, only 6,000 of 60,000 migrant workers have been registered with the governmental agencies.
Public Union head Nadir Abdullayev said there are shortcomings in migrants' social protection, prevention of illegal migration, registration of migrants, human trafficking and payment of dues.
State Migration Service Migration Policy Department deputy head Vahid Gahramanov said a flow of migrants to Azerbaijan has increased for recent years due to Azerbaijan's economic development, political stability and favorable geographical location.
Gahramanov said majority of migrants work in energy and transport sector.
He said the State Migration Service granted immigrant status to 32 people, temporary residence right to 1,359 people and term of stay of 1,410 individuals were extended in 2008. Only one of 87 migrants was granted refugee status.
The Labor and Social Protection Ministry's official Fuad Jabbarov said the government has taken measures to prevent flow of migrant workers. The fines for illegally employing foreigners and state due for hiring migrants were increased.
The Labor and Social Protection Ministry granted permission to 6,000 migrants in 2008. About 43 percent works in oil, 33.5 percent in construction, 4.3 percent in finance and insurance and 7 percent in production and trade.
There are 200 million migrants all over the world.
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