How to improve labour migration management and policies in Kazakhstan as a destination country for migrants is the focus of a two-day international conference organized by the OSCE Centre that started in Almaty yesterday.
The two-day meeting was co-organized with the Office of the OSCE Co-ordinator for Economic and Environmental Activities, the Kazakh Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and the Eurasian Economic Community. Participants include representatives of the government, the private sector and the media, as well as from non-governmental and international organizations.
"Freedom of movement is one of the founding commitments of the OSCE participating States," said Jeannette Kloetzer, Acting Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana.
"Labour migration can be a strong force for economic growth and human development, but it also needs to be managed in a way that is beneficial for both the countries of origin and the countries of destination. In this context, the Centre is ready to support the Kazakh Government in developing efficient labour migration policies."
Participants will discuss the need to introduce comprehensive labour migration strategies in order to manage the increasing flow of labour migrants into Kazakhstan. One of the challenges to be addressed during the meeting is that of irregular migration, which can lead to trafficking in human beings for labour exploitation and other forms of organized crime.
International experts from Kyrgyzstan, Portugal and Tajikistan will also present best practices on migration governance in other OSCE participating states.
" Kazakhstan is an attractive destination country for labour migrants due to its strong economic development", said Serik Abdenov, Vice Minister of Labour and Social Protection of Kazakhstan. " Kazakhstan is actively working to reduce the number of irregular migrants by improving administrative procedures, increasing transboundary cooperation and harmonizing migration policies according to the international standards and requirements."
The conference, which is a part of a multi-year initiative on enhancing labour migration policies in Kazakhstan, aims to produce policy recommendations for reinforcing the implementation of the national migration strategy at the legal and institutional level.