Journalists discuss labor migration at a recent roundtable in Almaty. Credit: EFCA
The rising level of labor migration in Central Asia presents new challenges for the region, but it receives surprisingly little attention in the Kazakh media. As a result, Kazakh society remains largely uninformed on the topic, its causes and consequences. To increase public awareness, Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia (EFCA) is working with journalists in Kazakhstan to develop their understanding of issues related to labor migration.
As part of this program, EFCA recently held a two-day roundtable, The Role of Mass Media in the Resolution of Labor Migration Issues. Two leading Russian media specialists—Lydia Grafova and Pavel Gutionov—facilitated the event, discussing the need to attract society’s attention to migration-related problems, methods for researching and reporting on labor migration and current trends in migration.
EFCA’s work with journalists is the newest part of its highly developed labor migration program. Among the program’s lasting achievements is the establishment of 11 migration centers in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. These centers actively assist labor migrants in finding safe, legal employment; providing legal consultations; and completing the registration process. Future plans include the introduction of professional training programs for migrant workers.
Though the plight of Central Asia’s labor migrants remains difficult, increasing media coverage on the part of Kazakhstan’s journalists will heighten the public’s awareness of these hardships.
