«About 2,500 labor migrants currently live in Vitebsk Oblast, including slightly more than 1,000 from Turkmenistan, with the rest coming from Russia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and other countries,» said Colonel of Police Svetlana Avik, head of the Citizenship and Migration Department of the Vitebsk Oblast Department of Internal Affairs.
Tatyana Ovchinnikova, head of the employment department of the Vitebsk Oblast labor, employment, and social protection committee, said that foreign workers are being recruited to the regional labor market in order to reduce staff shortages in organizations across Vitebsk Oblast. «Employers can recruit foreign workers either independently or through recruitment companies by submitting applications for the selection of the personnel they need. The main labor migration flows to Vitebsk Oblast come from three countries: Turkmenistan (more than 40%), the Russian Federation (20%), and the Republic of Uzbekistan (14%). Migrant workers are employed by organizations in agriculture, industry, wholesale and retail trade, and construction, filling blue-collar positions such as drivers, milking-machine operators, livestock workers, painters, bricklayers, cooks, and sales assistants,» Tatyana Ovchinnikova said.
Aleksandr Klykovsky, a foreman at the Repair and Construction Department of OAO Orsha Construction Trust No. 18, said workers from Uzbekistan had joined the company. «This is our first experience of working with foreigners. They are currently involved in installing water supply and heating systems, doing priming, painting pipes, and insulation work. They demonstrate tremendous diligence. Even if they do not have specific experience in a particular area, they pick things up instantly and genuinely want to learn. I would also like to highlight their impeccable discipline: our country has very strict occupational safety requirements, and the new employees follow them without question. They are responsive and friendly people who easily get along with the team. Personally, I view this experience very positively. The construction industry is experiencing a shortage of workers today, so we will always need hardworking and responsible people,» Aleksandr Klykovsky said.
Foreigners in the region also have access to quality medical care. According to Aleksei Tsybulsky, acting deputy chief physician for surgery at Vitebsk City Emergency Hospital, all citizens receive the medical assistance they need. «Emergency medical care is provided free of charge at the hospital to labor migrants from the Russian Federation, Armenia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and Turkmenistan. Such care is also provided free of charge to foreigners, stateless persons, and refugees. Planned medical care is provided on a fee-paying basis to foreign nationals holding residence permits, except for those who have arrived from CIS member states. Some enterprises provide insurance for their employees, including labor migrants. We have even provided care to citizens of China. I have a positive attitude toward labor migrants. Everyone who chooses our country to live and work in while respecting our laws is welcome,» Aleksei Tsybulsky said.
English teacher at Vitebsk Secondary School No. 4 Elena Stankevich also expressed a positive attitude toward migrants. «Belarus has always been known for its hospitality, and I have great respect for people who come here to live and work honestly. My own family once found a home here: my father came from Russia, while my mother came from Azerbaijan, and they always admired the kindness of Belarusians. I see this deeply rooted respect for others in today’s children as well. In my teaching career, I have had students from Latvia and Russia, and the class always became a friendly, welcoming family for them,» Elena Stankevich said.
The nationwide sociological survey covered more than 2,000 respondents across Belarus. Asked how they viewed the recruitment of labor migrants to the country, 63.3% of respondents answered, «neutrally, as long as they comply with the law»; 15.3% said they viewed it «positively, I see no problem with it»; while 20.3% said they viewed it «negatively, they cause a lot of problems.» Sociologists noted that many countries attract migrants in different ways, but not all of these examples succeed. Their experience is worth studying.
