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Migration and Remittances in Kazakhstan                           September 25, 2007
                                              Kazakhstan is the ninth-largest migrant-receiving and the seventh-largest migrant-
                                              supplying country in the world, according to the recent World Bank study Migration
                                              and Remittances: Eastern Europe and Former Soviet Union, which was presented
                                              in Astana and Almaty on September 24-25, 2007. The country receives most
                                              migrants from its neighbors in Central Asia. Yet, since transition, Kazakhstan has
                                              also been a major source of migrants, often to Russia.
                                              The main objectives of the events in Almaty and Astana included the following:
                                              presentation of the main conclusions and findings of the World Bank two recent
                                              studies on migration and remittances; presentation of the relevant international
                                              practices for labor market projection, measurement of migration and attracting
                                              qualified migrants; and discussion of the applicability and effectiveness of the
analytical and policy tools for migration policy in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Among the invitees were representatives from ministries and
government agencies involved in migration policy-making,
parliamentarians, representatives from international development
agencies, embassies, civil society organizations, research
institutions, private sector, as well as the media.
The presentation of the reports on migration and remittances was
made by Bryce Quillin, World Bank Economist, co-author of the
reports. Annette Dixon, World Bank Regional Director for Central
Asia, Sergei Shatalov, World Bank Kazakhstan Country Manager,
and John Litwack, World Bank Lead Economist for Kazakhstan,
welcomed the participants in the seminars.
The theme of migration is very complex and multi-faceted as it
touches upon economic, social, cultural, and political aspects of the
country development and individual people’s lives. Presentations of
                                                             the World
                                                             Bank reports were followed by a lively discussion on topics which
                                                             are especially important to Kazakhstan: labor migration, legalization
                                                             of labor migrants, the so-called “brain drain”, demographic situation
                                                             and the need to strengthen productive labor force to support
                                                             dynamic economic and industrial growth. It was concluded that this
                                                             topic needs a very balanced approach, because migration, if
                                                             properly regulated, can benefit all the sides: receiving countries,
                                                             supplying countries, and migrants themselves.