MIGRATION IN CENTRAL ASIA IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of migration trends in the countries of Central Asia in the context of demographic change and socio-economic transformation of the region. Based on official statistical data from individual Central Asian countries and global databases (the World Bank, the International Labour Organization, and the United Nations), the main trends of internal and international migration in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan for the period 2010–2023 are identified. Attention is paid to assessing the impact of migration on the sustainability of national economies, infrastructure development, labor markets, and social mobility of the population. The study also examines such phenomena as the outflow of highly skilled professionals, the increasing dependence of several countries on remittances from labor migrants, and the emergence of new migration linkages with non-regional and distant countries. Special emphasis is placed on the relationship between migration processes and the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 8, 10, and 11). The article also emphasizes the relationship between the migration processes under consideration and the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 8, 10, and 11). The analysis leads to the conclusion that migration plays a dual role: acting both as a source of new risks to long-term regional development and as a mechanism for adaptation to internal socio-economic challenges.