Number of Central Asian labor migrants entering Russia falls 15%

The number of labor migrants arriving in Russia from Central Asian countries decreased by approximately 15% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year, AzerNEWS reports, citing Vedomosti.

During the first six months of this year, citizens of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan entered Russia for employment purposes around 1.9 million times. In the same period of 2025, the figure stood at 2.3 million.

Compared with the first half of last year, the number of arrivals by Uzbek citizens declined by 13.2%, Tajik citizens by 17.9%, and Kyrgyz citizens by 16.7%.

Russia has a visa-free regime with these countries. To work in Russia, citizens of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan must obtain a patent - a document that authorizes them to work in the country. The patent is issued for a period of up to one year.

Citizens of Kyrgyzstan do not need a patent because the country is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union.

Experts attribute the decline in the number of labor migrants to the tightening of migration legislation in Russia.