For Tajikistan citizens considering work abroad, preparation means knowing whether an employment offer is genuine, what rules apply in the destination country and where support can be found if difficulties arise. The Migrant Resource Centre in Dushanbe was established to make reliable guidance easier to access. The Ministry of Labour, Migration and Employment of the Population describes it as “an important link between citizens, government institutions and foreign labour markets”, helping people enter those markets better informed and prepared.
Tajikistan was the first country in Central Asia to establish a Migrant Resource Centre. The MRC extended ICMPD’s flagship initiative, developed through its work in the Silk Routes region, into Central Asia and created a new structure for government institutions and ICMPD to organise services around the needs of Tajik labour migrants. In doing so, it became an early regional reference point, demonstrating how the MRC model could be adapted to Central Asia and embedded within a country’s national migration system.
This first MRC in the region grew from almost two decades of cooperation. Since 2004, Tajikistan’s authorities and ICMPD have worked together through international and regional migration dialogues, including the Budapest Process and Prague Process, as well as through regional and bilateral projects, policy exchanges, seminars and other activities in the field of migration management.
That long-standing cooperation took a practical form in 2023, when MRC Tajikistan opened at the premises of the Migration Service in Dushanbe. Jointly managed by the Ministry and ICMPD, the MRC works closely with the Migration Service and the Centre for Counselling and Preparation of Labour Migrants. This brings counselling, pre-departure preparation, and government expertise into a more connected structure.
Through this cooperation, prospective migrants receive information on employment and residence requirements in other countries, their rights and responsibilities, conditions of stay, and potential risks. This can help them identify fraudulent recruitment, avoid breaches of migration legislation and prepare more thoroughly for new living and working conditions after leaving Tajikistan.
For the Government, one of the most important achievements since 2023 has been the Centre’s growing place within the country’s migration system. The Ministry sets its priorities in line with state migration policy, ensures that its work responds to migrants’ needs and facilitates cooperation with other government institutions and partners.
National ownership shapes how the MRC operates. The MRC is based within a government institution, jointly supervised and connected to the national bodies responsible for labour migration and migrant preparation. This institutional approach was particularly significant for Central Asia’s first MRC: it showed that migrant counselling could become part of a coordinated national structure rather than remain a stand-alone service.
Cooperation between the Ministry and ICMPD has evolved in parallel. What began with individual initiatives has become a more systematic and long-term partnership, supported by regular coordination, shared expertise and a focus on government priorities. As the MRC model subsequently expanded to other Central Asian countries, Tajikistan’s experience helped establish a regional direction based on government ownership, institutional cooperation and services adapted to national needs.
This institutional foundation will also shape the next stage of the MRC’s work. Diversifying labour migration destinations and developing access to new and promising markets are among the Government’s priorities. As prospective migrants consider less familiar destinations, they will need to understand different legal requirements, recruitment practices, skills expectations and working conditions.
As the MRC network marks its 10th anniversary, attention in Tajikistan is turning to the next stage of the MRC’s development. Having helped begin the MRC journey in Central Asia, Tajikistan is now building on that experience to respond to new migration patterns and evolving needs. The Ministry sees stronger professional and vocational preparation for migrants as an important area for development. Current and reliable information will remain essential, alongside continued protection of the rights and interests of labour migrants. Digital counselling could further extend this guidance to citizens beyond Dushanbe and complement the services already available through MRC and its government partners.