IOM, the UN Migration Agency, facilitated the return home of Tajik migrants who had been stranded at the Kazakhstan/Uzbekistan border.
In 2019, IOM Tajikistan in cooperation with AFEW International and AFEW Kyrgyzstan launched the project “Improving migrants’ access to HIV services in Tajikistan” to scale up the access of Tajik migrants, in particular from the key populations, to HIV services.
South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe and Central Asia is home to a highly diverse group of citizens, 32.8 million of which decided to cross international borders and generously contributed to the global economy. In fact, 3.5 per cent of the world population, or 272 million individuals, are migrants. Most international migrants remain within the region, with the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Kazakhstan being the most popular destinations. However, we see new migration trends in Eastern Europe forming of late. A high level of migration occurs within their countries too – urbanisation is on the rise across most of the region, as more opportunities are being created in larger cities.
Geneva - As the world faces the economic and broader development repercussions of COVID-19, remittances to low- and middle-income countries are projected to fall sharply in 2020 - by about 20 percent or US $110 billion. A reduction in remittances, in particular for remittance dependent countries, communities and households, can have substantial socio-economic impacts.
Today, the International Organization for Migrations joins a global Call to Action, Remittances in Crisis – How to Keep Them Flowing, which draws the attention of the international community to the issue of the socio-economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on remittances and the financial situation of migrants and their families.
Moscow/Nur Sultan – The COVID-19 pandemic is having a profound impact on Central Asia and the Russian Federation, where migration influences every aspect of daily life.
Thousands of migrants are stranded due to travel restrictions. Remittance flows – the lifeblood of several regional economies – has slowed to a trickle.
Tajikistan is a country marked by a high level of labour migration due to a lack of work in the country. According to official figures, in 2019 more than 500.000 Tajiks left the country for working abroad. The majority works in Russia, where there is a high prevalence of HIV. The proportion of the Tajik migrants among new registered HIV cases in Tajikistan increased from 10.1 percent in 2014 to 18.8 percent in 2018. Also, little is known about migration of key populations, such as people who use drugs and men who have sex with men (MSM), and their behavior in using health services while working abroad.
Geneva – The world’s largest film festival dedicated to migration is launching its Fifth Edition, starting with a worldwide call for entries. All submissions will be considered for the festival in the categories of features, shorts and online films. All submissions may be offered for review starting next month (6 April) and must be submitted no later than 21 June 2020.
OHCHR, IOM, UNHCR and WHO - Joint Press Release
Geneva - In the face of the COVID-19 crisis, we are all vulnerable. The virus has shown that it does not discriminate - but many refugees, those forcibly displaced, the stateless and migrants are at heightened risk.
Three-quarters of the world’s refugees and many migrants are hosted in developing regions where health systems are already overwhelmed and under-capacitated. Many live in overcrowded camps, settlements, makeshift shelters or reception centers, where they lack adequate access to health services, clean water and sanitation.