Migrants from Central Asia Reduce Entries to Russia by 15%

From January to June 2026, the number of entries of citizens from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan into Russia for work purposes decreased by 15% compared to the same period last year, totaling 1.9 million. Entries by country: Uzbekistan - 1.1 million (a decrease of 13.2%), Tajikistan - 495.5 thousand (a decrease of 17.9%), Kyrgyzstan - 289.1 thousand (a decrease of 16.7%). The main reasons for the reduction in the flow of workers are the strictness of migration policy, the rising cost of patents, and the launch of a registry of controlled persons for violators of stay durations. As a result, citizens of Central Asia are increasingly choosing employment in South Korea, China, the Middle East, and the EU. To compensate for the loss of labor resources, Russian companies have started attracting workers from visa regions such as China, India, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. According to Bloomberg Economics, the labor shortage in the Russian economy amounts to 1.5 million people. Amid the staffing crisis, over 147 thousand work permits were issued in Russia for citizens from visa countries in Asia in the first half of 2026, which is one-third more than last year.