July 14, Pozirk. More than 200 Uzbek nationals arrived in Belarus yesterday on a charter flight for seasonal work in agriculture, Uzbekistan’s migration agency reported.
The workers came to Belarus under a pilot project implemented through a simplified recruitment process based on a trilateral agreement between the Andijan regional administration, Uzbekistan’s migration agency and the employment services of Belarus’ Viciebsk region, it said.
Just five days ago, Alaksandar Łukašenka said after meeting Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Minsk that he invited migrant workers from Uzbekistan to come to Belarus with their families.
“We like Uzbeks here, so I would like to see more of your people come here with their families, even more than Pakistanis. In the agricultural sector, we provide housing, free education and healthcare, the same conditions we offer Belarusians. In cities, you may need to wait a little longer, but housing will become available.”
The Belarusian ruler defended his decision to invite migrant workers from Uzbekistan in televised comments made during his recent trips to the economically depressed districts in the Mahiloŭ and Viciebsk regions.
The move is intended to address severe labor shortages in the country, he said during his tour of Škłoŭ district in the Mahiloŭ region yesterday. “We cannot get by without hiring workers from outside,” he argued.
Łukašenka turned to Uzbekistan after his similar effort to bring workers from Pakistan had failed.
