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1 November 2013

Capacity-building workshop on migration statistics

EDB’s Studies on Labour Migration in SES

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Labour-related studies by the EDB

Two research projects by the Centre for Integration Studies of the EDB:

1. Labour Migration in the CIS: Economic Effects and Legal-Institutional Consequences of SES Labour Migration Agreements, 2012 (an attempt to assess the potential effects of two recently ratified SES agreements on the economies of the region, including CA countries)

2. Labour Market and Human Capital Development Prospects in Kyrgyz Republic in the Context of country’s expected accession to the CU and SES, 2013 (an assessment of effects the potential membership of KR in CU and SES might have on the development of the domestic labour market and human capital)

http://www.eabr.org/r/research/centre/projectsCII/

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SES Labour Migration Agreements (1 January 2012)

1. Agreement on Cooperation between the Member States of the SES in Preventing Illegal Labour Migration from the Third Countries

2. Agreement on the Legal Status of Migrant Workers and their Family Members: Labour migrants from SES member states excluded from quotas on international

labour force, work permission not needed; Simplified procedures for legal employment for migrant workers from SES member

states (reduced list of documents, increased period of stay and extended deadlines for registration at a temporary residence address);

Inclusion of labour migrants’ children in the national education system

Positive impact of this Agreement might be diminished at the country level by specifics of national legislation

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Economic Effects of SES Labour Migration Agreements

1. The Agreement now covers SES member-states which are countries of destination,

thus economic effect is not expected to be significant in the short-run.

2. Positive economic effects of SES Agreements could be achieved with the accession of

countries which are countries of origin of labour migrants (Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan)

and linked to:

− Redistribution of labour force;

− Regulation of migration flows;

− Improved protection of migrant workers from risks and threats associated with illegal

employment;

− Reduction of costs aimed at curbing illegal migration;

− Growth of countries’ GDP as a result of medium wage reduction, growth of employment and

increased income to budget from taxes collected.

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Economic Effects of SES Labour Migration Agreements

“An increase of legally employed migrants from Kyrgyzstan by 360,000 and from Tajikistan by 890,000 will result in 40 billion RR of additional income to the Russian Federation budget”.

“So far the countries of origin of labour force mainly benefit from remittances. In 2011 the National Bank of KR reported $1.7 bln of remittances, exclusive of informal transfers. The share of remittances to the country of origin in 2010 accounted for 25% of Kyrgyz GDP”.