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PERIODIZATION OF THE HISTORY OF POPULATION MIGRATION IN
UZBEKISTAN
Matvapayeva Nasiba Gayratovna,
PhD student at Urgench State University named after Abu Rayhon Beruni
Urgench city, Hamid Olimjon street, 14, 220100
matvapayevanasiba757@gmail.com
ORCID-0009-0004-7626-3365
Abstract:
This article aims to shed light on the conditional periodization of population migration
in Uzbekistan in relatively recent history. When writing the article, such methods as analysis and
synthesis, systematic analysis, historicity, comparative analysis of events, facts and documents
were used. As a result of analyzing the data on the topic of the article, periodization data were
determined based on the characteristics of population migration in Uzbekistan. It was found that
each period has certain characteristics according to its nature, and the migration process, which
is rapidly developing and developing all over the world today, also has its own historical roots in
Uzbekistan.
Keywords:
population migration, periodization, deportation, ethnic group
Introduction.
In today's globalization, migration and related issues are taking a leading position in each
country and are acquiring a new meaning. This indicator is especially high in developing
countries. The word migration is derived from the Latin word “migratio”, which means “to
move”. Migration is the movement of people from one place of residence to another, either
permanently or for a certain period of time, across administrative borders, for the purpose of
living, working, or studying. Therefore, the movement of people across territories represents
population migration. People who participate in migration are considered migrants.[1]
Migration is the main type of territorial movement of populations, which has been formed and
developed since the emergence of contact between humans and nature. About 300,000 years ago,
the migration of Homo sapiens across the African continent took place. It is believed that climate
change caused the movement of homo sapiens at this time. From 500 BC, the interconnected
Great Silk Road began to develop and began to move from Southern Europe to East Asia, with
merchants, armies, scientists, goods and ideas moving from East to West and vice versa. At its
peak, the Roman Empire settled Gauls, Spaniards, Syrians, Persians, Britons, Greeks, Libyans
and Egyptians in all parts of the empire. The first great migration occurred in the 4th–7th
centuries, when pastoral tribes occupied the lands in order to expand pastures for livestock.
These migrations led to the formation of various peoples, new ethnic groups, and the emergence
of new states in antiquity and the Middle Ages. In the 7th–8th centuries, the Arab Caliphate was
formed and began large-scale wars to seize territories in North Africa, part of Spain, and large
regions of Central Asia. During this period, a fierce struggle was waged to forcibly introduce and
preserve the Muslim religion, and national cultures and languages began to spread to the
conquered territories. Population migration has been especially widespread since the era of the
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Great Geographical Discoveries. [2] The next stages of the global movement of peoples were
associated with the development of America and the bloody wars initiated by European countries.
The main stimulus for the mass movement of workers in the 19th century was the economic
interest in attracting migrants to countries that had already undergone the industrial revolution
and created conditions for the rapid development of capitalist relations. Migration processes
continued in the 20th century. The two bloody world wars in Europe, the shortage of labor in
war-torn countries and the huge losses resulting from reconstruction, and other factors intensified
the migration movement. [3] The number of immigrants in the world increased from 75 million
in 1965 to 120 million in 1990 and 190 million in 2006. [4] Today, about 1 billion people
worldwide are migrants, or one in every 7 people.
For this reason, interest in studying the history, causes, and consequences of migration in
Uzbekistan is growing today. Literature on the history of migration processes in Uzbekistan was
created by R.Kh. Murtazayeva, I.R. Mullajonov, D. Bobojonova, M.R. Boriyeva, R.
Ubaydullayeva, O. Ata-Mirzayev, N. Umarova, A. Soliyeva, Kh. Kholmominov, M. Aliyeva, A.
Khojayev, B. Isakov, F. Yuldasheva, E. Ahmedov, N. Fayziyev, and Sh. Haitov, which contain
information about population censuses conducted in Uzbekistan, the accumulation of
demographic knowledge, and the specific features of migration processes. However, most
scientific studies have not comprehensively studied the issue of periodization of the history of
migration in Uzbekistan.
Materials and methods.
Labor migration in Uzbekistan has existed for a long time and has occurred both within and
outside the republic. The most common form of internal labor movement was seasonal migration,
when residents (the so-called “hectare farmers”) went to the southern regions of the republic to
work temporarily in the cultivation of onions, rice, etc. Unorganized labor markets and labor
markets aimed at temporary work have existed for a long time. [5]
In scientific research on the relatively large-scale population migration processes in Uzbekistan
in recent history, the following conditional periodization is proposed:
1. Migration processes in the late 19th - early 20th centuries.
2. Migration flows during the former Soviet regime.
3. Features of internal and external migration during the period of independence.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Russian peasants began to establish immigrant
settlements in the southwestern regions of Tashkent. The first significant influx of Russians
began with the Russian conquest of Turkestan (1865) and was associated with the need to
colonize this fertile territory.
In the 19th century, Uyghurs who fled China settled in the mountain valleys of eastern
Uzbekistan. During the Russo-Japanese War in the 1930s, Koreans from the Far East were
deported to Uzbekistan. In total, more than 3 million people, selected on the basis of loyalty to
the enemies of the USSR, were deported between 1936 and 1952, and exiled to Central Siberia
or Central Asia. In total, more than 20 million representatives suffered, and 8 entire peoples were
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uprooted from their homelands. One of them was a non-Orthodox Christian (Volga Germans),
another was a Buddhist (Kalmyk), and the remaining 6 were Muslims (Chechens, Ingush,
Karachay, Balkars, Crimean Attars, and Meskhetian). [6] In 1992, 850,000 Soviet Germans were
allowed to leave for Germany, but were not allowed to return to the Volga region. The first
significant migration of Russians began with the Russian conquest of Turkestan (1865) and was
associated with the need to colonize this fertile territory.
The Russian Revolution of 1917 also intensified the mass migration of the population to
Uzbekistan. During the years of Soviet development, waves of migration to the republic were
distinguished during the civil war and the first stage of Soviet development (1925-1935),
political repression (1936-1940), and World War II (1941-1945). [7]Intensive migration to
Uzbekistan began in the 1950s. As a result of changes in irrigation, transport, electricity supply,
mining, mechanical engineering, chemistry, textiles, and other sectors, net migration from Russia
to Uzbekistan was observed. Starting in the 1960s, a shortage of labor resources was observed in
Russia, and as a result, the direction of migration changed. Since the 1970s, a new trend of
emigration from the republic began to form, this process gradually increased, reaching its peak in
1990. 215.6 thousand people left the republic, the negative balance of migration was almost 140
thousand people. Since the 1970s, migration to Russia has intensified. It was from these years
that internal factors began to influence the nature of migration. As the population's education and
skills increased, their chances of obtaining a high social status and finding a prestigious job
increased significantly. The 1990s were marked by the withdrawal of the Slavic and Russian-
speaking population from such sectors of the national economy as industry and construction.
One reason for this was their loss of competitiveness in the Uzbek labor market, another was the
increased demand for labor specialists in Russia itself. [8]
The last major migration of Europeans to Uzbekistan occurred in the 1960s, especially after the
devastating Tashkent earthquake of 1966, when a large number of construction workers arrived
in the republic, many of whom remained there permanently. [9] After 1989, migration took on an
ethnic character. In 1989–1990, 684,000 people emigrated from Uzbekistan to Russia, and in
1991–1994, 364,000 people emigrated. Between 1989 and 1998, some ethnic groups left
Uzbekistan almost entirely. These included Ashkenazi Jews, Germans, Georgians, Greeks, and
Azerbaijanis. In 1992, 850,000 Soviet Germans were allowed to leave for Germany, but were not
allowed to return to the Volga region. In 1989, about 188,800 Crimean Tatars lived in
Uzbekistan. In 1999, net migration amounted to -55,725 people. In 1989-1998, 40,575 Germans
left Uzbekistan, 8,756 Germans arrived, net migration amounted to -31,819. During these years,
-685 Kurds migrated to Central Asian countries. During World War II, a group of Kalmyks was
exiled to Uzbekistan, their faith and number are unknown, and according to experts, almost all of
them died near the Aral Sea. [10]
If in the 90s mainly Russians and Russian-speakers went to Russia, then in the late 1990s and
2000s their scope increased. The population of Tajikistan, then Kyrgyzstan, and finally
Uzbekistan joined the cross-border movement. Until recently, all labor migrants were (and still
are) commonly referred to as "Tajiks," but today the majority of those crossing the Russian
border are citizens of Uzbekistan.[11]
Since the early 1990s, citizens of Uzbekistan have been moving abroad mainly for permanent
residence, and this process reached its peak in the mid-1990s. Until 1999, the measures taken by
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the government to prevent emergencies and ensure stability ensured people's safety and kept
migration within reasonable limits. [12]
Results.
It is also appropriate to divide the period of development of international labor migration in
Uzbekistan after independence from 1991 to 2023 into 4 stages, each of which was characterized
by certain demographic, economic, political and other factors influencing the formation of
external labor migration at the macro (higher) level: Stage 1: In 1990-2000, the desire of citizens
of Russian, Jewish, Tajik nationality abroad for permanent residence occurred as a result of an
increase in migration flows. In this regard, the crises in the early stages of development of the
Uzbek economy led to the forced departure of many Uzbek citizens abroad for work. On October
10, 1991, the State Committee of the Uzbek SSR for Labor and Social Affairs was transformed
into the Ministry of Labor of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In 1992, Uzbekistan joined the
International Labor Organization. On July 14, 1993, the Republican Agency for Labor Migrants
was established.
The 2nd stage was a period of accelerated economic growth in 2000, and in 2001, the majority of
Uzbeks took second place in terms of the volume of labor migration to Russia. Labor migrants
sent an average of 4 billion US dollars to our homeland per year, forming an important part of
the Uzbek economy. Its characteristic feature is stability, the absence of sharp fluctuations in the
direction of an increase or decrease in the total number of travelers. [13] On February 13, 2001,
the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Social Security were merged, and on its basis the
Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Uzbekistan was
established. The main tasks of the ministry are to develop measures for social protection of the
population and monitor their implementation, to pursue a unified state policy in the field of labor
remuneration, to implement social support for the unemployed and their family members, to
establish and develop relations with labor organizations of other countries in the development of
the republic and labor. On April 6, 2001, the Republican Agency for Labor Migrants was
transformed into the Agency for External Labor Migration.
Stage 3 covers the years 2010-2015, when the country's economy was experiencing a slowdown,
and as a result of structural reforms aimed at developing employment and investment, GDP
growth and a natural increase in labor migration contributed to this. In 2011-2013, the total
number of migrants reached 2.3 million, which was explained by the fact that most of the
country's citizens left the country in search of work.
Stage 4 covers the period from 2016 to the present, that is, the period of democratic changes in
the "New Uzbekistan", a stage of new socio-economic reforms and a rapid strengthening of
governance, broad opportunities and the transformation of practical work are explained by the
strengthening of the democratic principle of society. In particular, in 2017, the head of state
began to pay attention to the problem of labor migration in Uzbekistan, and in this regard,
citizens of the country began to be officially sent abroad through the Migration Agency for
temporary work. [14] After Shavkat Mirziyoyev was elected President of the Republic of
Uzbekistan, rapid reforms in the field of labor and employment began in Uzbekistan, as well as
practical measures to eliminate child labor and forced labor. In 2018, he met with compatriots
who had left for the United States in New York. In the same year, the Buyuk Kelajak Foundation
and its expert council, which brought together professionals in various fields of activity, were
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established, and in 2019, the El-yurt Umidi Foundation was established. They are aimed at
providing the republic with highly qualified and competitive specialists in the global labor
market, establishing close cooperation with our compatriots with great scientific potential.[15]
The Strategy of Actions for the Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2017-2021 was
approved, and its fourth direction, entitled “Development of the Social Sphere”, sets the tasks of
creating new jobs and ensuring employment of the population, especially graduates of secondary
and higher educational institutions, ensuring the proportionality of the development of the labor
market and infrastructure, reducing the unemployment rate; creating conditions for the full
implementation of labor and entrepreneurial activities of the able-bodied population, improving
the quality of the workforce, and expanding the system of vocational training, retraining and
advanced training of people in need of labor.[16] On May 24, 2017, the Ministry of Labor and
Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Uzbekistan was transformed into the
Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations. The main task of the Ministry is to develop a state
order for the creation of new jobs, implement regional and sectoral programs to ensure
employment of the population, and coordinate measures to provide employment to graduates of
higher and secondary specialized and vocational educational institutions. On November 27, 2018,
Uzbekistan became a member of the International Organization for Migration. By the Decree of
the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. PF-269 dated December 21, 2022, the Ministry
of Employment and Labor Relations of the Republic of Uzbekistan was reorganized into the
Ministry of Poverty Reduction and Employment of the Republic of Uzbekistan. [17]
Discussion.
I. Mullajonov's book "Migration Relations of the Population of Uzbekistan" deals with the issues
of population migration in the republic and points out three important aspects of it. First, as a
result of migration that occurs in an economically expedient manner, labor resources are
redistributed on a territorial scale. Second, based on the principle of personal interest, a voluntary
tendency to individual migration arises, and if migration is carried out in a planned manner, it
brings great benefits to the interests of society. Third, he concludes that as a result of migration,
representatives of different nationalities come closer together, and many settlements appear. [18]
In the process of transition to a market economy, Uzbekistan's labor resources gradually entered
the international labor market. In order to coordinate and control work in this area, an agency for
external labor migration was established under the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the
Population by a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers. Since 1994-1995, external migration
began to develop at the state level. In 1995-2000, 4.7 thousand people were sent to the Republic
of South Korea for work and study. The development of external labor migration necessitated the
adoption of legal and regulatory documents in this regard and the regulation of the sector. The
first step in this process was the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 353 of July 14, 1993
“On the Regulation of the Export and Import of Labor Forces”. This resolution was aimed at
ensuring the exercise of the right of citizens of Uzbekistan to engage in labor activities in foreign
countries, regulating and coordinating the employment of citizens in foreign countries, and
protecting their rights and interests. By the 2000s, the state of labor migration began to differ
from the previous period in terms of scale, nature, and composition of participants. [19]
Conclusion.
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Migration has a long history and is a process that plays an important role in the life of society.
Especially in today's globalization, migration and related aspects are more important than ever.
Studying the migration process in terms of periods is as relevant as other historical processes.
Each historical period differs from each other in terms of its content.
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