New migration policy concept to be developed in Kazakhstan

In 2021, Kazakhstan will develop a Concept of migration policy for 2022-2026. This was announced by the head of the Department Serik Shapkenov at the meeting of the expanded board of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan (hereinafter – MTSZN) on the results of activities for 2020 and tasks for 2021.

The event was attended by Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Yeraly Tugzhanov, the heads of the Central and structural subdivisions of the Ministry, members of Parliament, representatives of the presidential Administration, the office of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan and Central government bodies, Deputy akims of regions, in Nur-Sultan, Almaty, Shymkent, representatives of international organizations, trade unions and others.

In his speech, the minister said that as part of the promotion of ethnic migration in 2020, more than 7 thousand families or 13 thousand ethnic Kazakhs arrived in the republic, of which 396 Kandas families were settled in the reception regions (East Kazakhstan region, North Kazakhstan region, Akmola, Pavlodar, Kostanay regions).

Measures are being taken to provide the country's economy with qualified foreign specialists. In 2020, within the allocated quota, local executive bodies issued 17.3 thousand permits to attract foreign labor. Taking into account the interests of Kazakhstani employees, the quota for the current year was 0.31% in relation to the number of the labor force in the republic.

In order to improve the current migration system, last year amendments were made to the legislation providing for the creation of favorable conditions for immigrants and ethnic repatriates arriving in the country; the obligations of employers attracting foreign labor to replace foreign skilled workers with Kazakhstani personnel.

"As part of the further development of migration relations in 2021, three main tasks have been identified. The first is the adoption of a new Concept of the migration policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2022-2026. The second is the introduction of an appropriate system in terms of employment and legal protection of Kazakhstani employees abroad. The third – the provision of Kazakhstan's content in the personnel will be maintained at the level of at least 97%, " Serik Shapkenov said.