President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has ratified an agreement on a comprehensive partnership in migration and mobility between Uzbekistan and Germany.
The agreement, signed in Samarkand on September 15, 2024, during German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit, outlines cooperation on labor migration, mobility, and the prevention of illegal migration. Under the agreement, the Migration Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers will oversee external labor migration, while the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be responsible for readmission.
Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs will notify Germany once the necessary internal procedures for the agreement’s implementation are completed. The Cabinet of Ministers and relevant ministries will ensure compliance with the agreement’s provisions after its entry into force.
The Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction stated that the agreement consists of 25 articles, focusing on:
- Facilitating fair mobility for skilled professionals, students, journalists, and scientists;
- Simplifying temporary labor migration procedures;
- Encouraging long-term stays for education, training, and employment;
- Combating illegal migration, forced labor, and human trafficking;
- Streamlining the return of individuals who do not meet residency or entry requirements.
In September 2024, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced that Germany was developing migration policy relaxations. She highlighted that German employers were prepared to hire Uzbek workers under a simplified process as part of the agreement.
