Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — A delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE PA), led by Assembly President Joan Pons Sampietro, reviewed Uzbekistan’s labour mobility reforms during a visit on 22 October. The delegation visited the Migration Agency and the INTIL International Centre for Language and Vocational Training.
The meeting focused on measures to ensure safe and legal employment abroad, protect citizens’ rights, train skilled workers for foreign labour markets and expand international cooperation.
The Migration Agency said Uzbekistan’s state policy in this area aims not only to facilitate overseas employment but also to prepare competitive specialists with foreign-language skills and qualifications that meet international requirements.
To achieve this, the country is improving mechanisms for assessing the needs of foreign employers, providing targeted training for specific vacancies, evaluating qualifications against international standards and arranging employment under lawful labour contracts.
During the first nine months of 2026, more than 287,000 job vacancies with average monthly salaries starting at US$1,500 were identified in 34 countries. More than 145,000 of these vacancies were in Europe and North America.
Over the same period, 39,500 Uzbek citizens were enrolled in foreign-language and vocational training programmes focused on skills in demand in international labour markets.
The delegation was also briefed on joint projects with Germany, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Slovenia and other countries, as well as mechanisms for providing legal and social assistance to Uzbek citizens abroad.
Preparing for work abroad
At the INTIL centre, OSCE PA representatives inspected classrooms, workshops, examination facilities and accommodation for trainees.
The centre provides foreign-language instruction, vocational training and international certification. It also organises interviews with overseas employers.
Discussions covered the alignment of vocational education with international standards, recognition of qualifications abroad, the effectiveness of public investment in human capital and the quality of training provided before citizens leave the country.
Particular attention was given to how knowledge, technology and professional experience acquired abroad could contribute to Uzbekistan’s further economic development.
Gudrun Kugler, OSCE PA Vice-President and a member of the Austrian parliament, praised the organisation of the INTIL centre, its training conditions and the engagement of participants in the educational process.
She said that, amid growing demand for workers in European countries, it was important to develop mutually beneficial cooperation with countries that have young and dynamically growing populations, including Uzbekistan.
“At the OSCE, we call this process not ‘brain drain’ but ‘brain circulation’,” Kugler said.
She stressed that working abroad enables people to gain not only income but also new knowledge, professional skills and international experience that can later contribute to the development of their home country.
Kugler also highlighted the importance of language and vocational training, including familiarising prospective migrant workers with the culture and traditions of their destination countries.
Another delegation representative highlighted Uzbekistan’s people-centred approach to organising labour migration. The representative said the country’s experience could be useful for discussions within the OSCE PA, including assessments of how countries prepare their citizens for employment in international labour markets.
Prospects for cooperation
The sides discussed expanding cooperation with European countries, monitoring compliance with employment contracts, strengthening workers’ social protection and increasing opportunities for legal employment abroad.
Migration Agency representatives stressed that the reliability of foreign employers, safe working conditions and guaranteed protection of citizens’ rights were key criteria for international partnerships.
The delegation was also briefed on the development of digital services, plans to introduce artificial intelligence-based solutions, improvements to legal assistance for citizens abroad and support for their employment after returning to Uzbekistan.
Following the meeting, the Uzbek side proposed helping raise awareness of the country’s ongoing reforms and its capacity to train skilled workers among the wider international parliamentary community.
The visit provided a platform for exchanging experience in labour mobility and discussing further cooperation between Uzbekistan and its European partners.