Translated with AI
The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries are actively using digital technologies to regulate labor migration and combat illegal employment. New approaches include the introduction of electronic visas, government portals, and mobile apps to track migration flows, as well as biometric registration of foreigners, according to the press service of the Organization's Executive Committee.
According to experts from the General Confederation of Trade Unions, digitalization helps ensure a balance between migration control and the comfort of foreign workers. "The common priority of all CIS countries is combating illegal migration," the study states.
Digital verification
Despite a shared historical legacy, national migration laws in the CIS countries are increasingly diverging. At the same time, clear common trends are also evident. These trends are aimed at deepening regional integration, digitalization, and strengthening social protection for workers. In a new study, the General Confederation of Trade Unions analyzes key trends in the transformation of labor migration in the CIS countries.
One of the most noticeable trends has been the active digital transformation of migration processes. CIS countries are implementing electronic visas, government service portals, and biometric identification systems. Russia and Kazakhstan are leaders in this area, creating platforms to track migration flows.
All CIS countries have official government services portals that allow people to electronically submit applications for patents, work permits, and schedule appointments with migration services. These measures increase transparency, reduce corruption risks, and simplify interactions with government agencies for migrant workers.
At the same time, the fight against illegal migration is being intensified. CIS countries are unifying their approaches to combating illegal employment, including administrative expulsion and strengthening border controls. "The common priority of all CIS countries is combating illegal migration," the study states. To combat illegal migration and document forgery, as well as to improve national security, several countries (Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan) have introduced fingerprint registration of foreigners.
Since 2025, administrative deportation from the Russian Federation, as an administrative penalty, has been imposed not only by judges but also by Ministry of Internal Affairs officers. Turkmenistan imposes a permanent ban on entry into the country in cases of security threats and systematic violations of immigration laws. Deportation decisions are made by migration authorities without judicial review and are not subject to appeal.
At the same time, deepening regional integration remains an important development area. The creation of a common labor market within the CIS and the Eurasian Economic Union is manifested in simplified employment procedures, mutual recognition of educational documents, and equal rights at work. Migrants from countries participating in these integration associations gain access to social security, healthcare, and education for children. A number of agreements on information exchange in the area of pension provision have been signed between the EAEU member states.
Preferences and support
Another focus of the VKP study is that states are increasingly developing specialized legal regimes to attract highly skilled specialists, investors, and IT workers. Countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Moldova are introducing innovative formats, including visas for "digital nomads."
"The Digital Nomad visa is a completely new type of visa for remote workers that grants temporary residence in the country subject to proof of income from abroad, with the exception of a ban on working in the local labor market," the study states.
Particular attention is also paid to strengthening the social and legal protection of migrant workers. Labor-donor countries, such as Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, are establishing special agencies and funds to support their citizens abroad. Destination countries, in turn, guarantee access to healthcare and legal protection. Legislative regulation of labor migration issues in donor countries is characterized largely by the creation of conditions for the labor migration of their citizens by establishing agencies (funds) that support and protect their compatriots in the country of employment, concluding intergovernmental agreements with recipient countries on the organized recruitment of migrant workers, and developing social adaptation programs for returning migrants. In Uzbekistan, the Agency for External Labor Migration and the Fund for the Support and Protection of the Rights and Interests of Citizens Working Abroad have been established at the state level under the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Representative offices have been established in recipient countries. The concept of migration legislation in Tajikistan until 2040 highlights the relevance and importance of creating a Social Support Fund for Migrants and their Family Members.
"Modern migration policy in the CIS seeks a balance between effective control and the protection of human rights. Digitalization and integration initiatives open up new opportunities for workers," said Viktor Pinsky, Secretary General of the General Confederation of Trade Unions.
According to the WCP experts, these trends indicate the formation of a more transparent, controlled, and socially oriented labor market in the region that meets the challenges of the global economy.
