Crossroads Asia | Society | Central Asia

Is the EU the Next Migration Destination for Uzbeks?     

EU countries are becoming increasingly attractive destinations for Uzbek migrants, driven by higher wages, stronger labor protections, and adherence to international labor standards. 

In Uzbekistan, a country of more than 38 million people, over 600,000 young people join the labor market each year. That figure is projected to approach 1 million annually by 2030. While a rising share of young people are now pursuing higher education at home, many continue to look abroad for work, driven by wage differentials and the pull of broader economic opportunity. 

For most Uzbeks, the choice of migration destination is shaped by three primary factors: visa accessibility, linguistic and cultural familiarity, and the presence of established migrant networks. As a result, migration has been concentrated in neighboring or historically connected countries. This pattern, however, is beginning to shift, as more Uzbek migrants look beyond the post-Soviet space toward more regulated, skills-oriented labor migration systems.

Despite growing diversification, Russia remains the primary destination for Uzbek migrants, because of visa-free access, cheaper mobility and existing labor networks. Kazakhstan also attracts substantial numbers of Uzbek workers, driven by geographic closeness, cultural similarity, and relatively low migration costs. Migration to Turkiye is also significant, though more gendered in its composition, with women disproportionately represented in sectors such as domestic and care work.

Beyond the post-Soviet space, a range of destination countries illustrates how differing migration regimes are reshaping Uzbek mobility. South Korea, for example, operates a regulated system under a bilateral framework with Uzbekistan established in 2006. With annual quotas for migrants, the program emphasizes pre-departure training, language certification, and employer matching. In 2025, approximately 98,400 Uzbeks were residing in the country. 

Similarly, migration cooperation with Japan has introduced structured pathways such as a project to recruit 10,000 Uzbek specified skilled workers (SSWs), which combines language instruction with vocational training. While Japan’s migration programs largely emphasize temporary employment, they also signal a broader institutionalization of labor mobility.

In Europe, smaller labor markets such as Lithuania and Latvia have developed targeted, sector-specific channels particularly in transport and logistics where Uzbek workers are becoming increasingly visible. Migration to Germany is largely employer-driven and demand-oriented. It hinges on the formal recognition of qualifications and private-sector recruitment channels, with no fixed quotas for most skilled categories.

European Union countries are becoming increasingly attractive destinations for Uzbek migrants, driven by higher wages, stronger labor protections, and adherence to international labor standards. Access, however, remains constrained by the Schengen area’s stringent visa regime.

In 2024, Uzbek citizens submitted 58,691 Schengen visa applications, marking a 26.2 percent increase from 2023. Germany emerged as the primary destination, receiving 19,329 applications and issuing 15,205 visas. Even so, barriers to entry remain notable: the overall rejection rate stood at 15.8 percent, with Germany accounting for the largest absolute number of refusals.

At the same time, labor shortages across the European Union are increasingly shaping migration demand. Germany, in particular, faces persistent structural gaps in sectors such as healthcare, skilled trades, logistics, and hospitality. According to the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce, more than 36 percent of firms report difficulties filling vacancies, while the Institute for Employment Research........

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