Uzbekistan and Türkiye Agree on New Mechanisms for the Legalization of Labor Migrants

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A meeting was held between the Director of the Migration Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Bekhzod Musaev, and the Minister of Labor and Social Security of the Republic of Türkiye, Vedat Işıkhan, focusing on elevating the system of legal and protected labor migration to a qualitatively new level.

During the talks, the parties agreed to continue the practice of legalizing Uzbek citizens residing in Türkiye with irregular status without applying deportation measures. It was specifically emphasized that this work will be carried out on a systematic basis and aimed at protecting the rights of migrants.

A significant outcome of the meeting was the agreement to grant work permits to Uzbek citizens who have been permanently residing in Türkiye for at least three years. This measure will be implemented for the first time and will come into effect on March 1.

In addition, the parties agreed to sign a separate agreement under which the Turkish public employment service İŞKUR, operating under the Ministry of Labor and Social Security of Türkiye, will centrally compile a list of the most in-demand professions in the labor market and forward relevant requests to the Migration Agency of Uzbekistan.

Following the meeting, it was noted that the agreements reached create a solid foundation for the further development of bilateral cooperation in the field of labor migration and for enhancing the level of social protection for citizens of Uzbekistan working in Türkiye.