Daniyar Abdirahmanov, 37, from the village of Yangiyer in Kyrgyzstan's southern Batken region, has spent half his life working in warehouses and construction sites in Russia, according to The Economist.
Two of his three brothers still work in Russia. His wife is a schoolteacher. But they met while working as shop assistants in Moscow.
When his son turned two, Daniyar left him with his parents and returned to Russia to earn money.
Abdirahmanov's story is special. Around Batken, in the Fergana Valley, it is difficult to find a family with at least one member who does not work in Russia.
Abdirahmanov did not want to leave the fertile and beautiful region where he was born and raised. But working in Moscow earned him three times the average salary in his homeland.
According to the World Bank, remittances in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 2021 accounted for one-third of GDP, making them the world's most dependent on remittances.
Money transfers from Russia, which are relatively cheap and easy to reach and have a familiar language, are an important factor in life in these countries.
About 82 percent of remittances to Kyrgyzstan last year came from Russia, and 76 percent in Tajikistan.
According to the government, without remittances, the number of poor Kyrgyz will increase significantly.
In Batken, the country's poorest region, 35 percent of the population lives on just over $ 1 a day, a figure that could rise to 50 percent.
Labor migration is so central to the economies of these countries that even a pandemic has shattered it.
Some immigrants returned home in 2020, but returned as soon as possible.
The World Bank estimates that Kyrgyzstan's economy will shrink by 5 percent this year.
One of the main reasons is that migrants are losing their jobs in Russia's sanctions-hit economy.
According to the World Bank, remittances to Tajikistan will fall by one-fifth, while GDP will fall by 2%.
As a result, the share of Tajik households that do not have enough nutritious and healthy food could rise from 20% to 36%.
The experience of the Abdirahmanov family shows that life is already difficult for migrants in Russia: one of his brothers has lost his job and is returning home.
But so far no mass exodus has been observed. Immigrants who are still at work say they plan to stay there for now.
Central Asian governments are trying to diversify their sources of remittances.
They are encouraging migrants to look for work in wealthier countries that offer higher wages and better labor rights.
Government-funded training centers in Uzbekistan have begun teaching Japanese and Korean to prospective migrants.
Tajik and Kyrgyz workers have begun picking fruit and vegetables in Britain after Brexit, which has become an unsuitable destination for Central Asian migrants due to labor shortages.
Many migrants are leaving for Russia despite the sanctions.
Earlier, it was reported that the UK is a good destination for migrants from Uzbekistan and neighboring countries.
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