As-salamu alaykum - Many Central Asians now looking West instead of to Russia
As-salamu alaykum - A German language teacher was standing in front of a group of Uzbek nursing students, running through medical words - wheelchair, overweight, retired - things they’ll need to know before they head to jobs in Germany. These students are part of a growing number of people from Central Asia who are turning away from the old route to Russia and choosing Western countries instead.
Several EU states have made labor deals with the five Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan - to bring in workers for care and farming, where there are shortages. High pay in Europe is a big draw. Caregiver Shakhnoza Gulmurotova told AFP she was mainly interested in the salary: she could take home about $2,500 a month, roughly seven times what she might earn at home.
This shift can help both sides: workers earn more and can send money back to support families, governments can ease unemployment among young people, and Europe fills real skills gaps as birth rates fall. But moving to Europe is a much bigger cultural and language change for many whose lives were shaped by Moscow for decades.
“This move to Germany stresses me out a lot,” said paramedic Umidjon Alijonov, 30, who studied in Russia. “I never thought I would learn German, but now it’s my life.” He plans to move with his family, insha'Allah. After the Soviet collapse and the hard years that followed, Russia was for a long time the main place people went for work. It still receives many migrants and remittances are important for poorer areas, but its appeal has weakened, especially after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Tensions in Russia have risen. Authorities said in May they sent some 20,000 newly naturalized citizens from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to fight at the front. Anti-migrant sentiment - already a problem for Central Asians - grew worse after the 2024 concert hall massacre outside Moscow. There have been arrests, stricter migration rules, more police raids and harsher rhetoric. “The police check your documents everywhere,” said Azimdjon Badalov, a Tajik who worked in Russia for 10 years. “As a migrant, I couldn’t move around freely.” In parts of Russia, migrants are even required to install government apps that track their location, and some cities have banned non-Russians from certain jobs like taxi driving or courier work. Badalov now picks strawberries seasonally south of London and says he prefers working in the UK to Russia.
Numbers changed a lot: officials say the Uzbek population in Russia dropped from some 4–6 million in 2016 to under one million now.
Governments are also sending workers beyond Europe. In 2023 Europe issued about 75,000 work permits to Central Asians, but countries in Asia and elsewhere are on the list too. At a busy emigration center in Tashkent, dozens of men bound for car factories in South Korea listened to officials explain workplace rules - some of which include limits on praying during shifts. Many people worry about finding jobs where they can keep up daily prayers and observe halal practices, so that’s an important factor for families deciding where to go.
“We are trying to send Uzbeks to developed countries: Germany, Slovakia, Poland, South Korea, Japan, and we are talking with Finland, Norway, Canada and the United States,” said Bobur Valiev from Uzbekistan’s immigration agency. Young people like Alexander Kulchukov, 21 from Kyrgyzstan, prefer Europe after facing daily insults in Russia. He now works at a campsite in a small German town: eight-hour days, weekends, holidays, paid overtime. “If I study and find a good job, it will be a nice life,” he said.
For many families, the choice is about safety, respect, and the chance to earn enough to support loved ones back home. May Allah make things easy for those seeking better opportunities, insha'Allah.
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