The CIS Internet Portal has published an article titled “Cooperation Among CIS Member States in the Sphere of Migration” prepared by the Information and Analytical Department of the CIS Executive Committee.
The article analyzes migration processes within the Commonwealth of Independent States in the context of global growth in international migration. It notes that migration in the CIS has unique features, stemming from a shared historical past, cultural and linguistic proximity, as well as similar socio-economic conditions.
Since the Commonwealth’s establishment, its member states have consistently built a migration management system, and this area continues to be one of the priority directions of state policy in CIS countries to this day. Key milestones included the adoption of the Agreement on Labor Migration (1994), the Declaration on a Coordinated Migration Policy (2007) and the establishment of the Council of Heads of Migration Authorities (2007). These steps aim to form a unified migration space and a common labor market.
In recent years, the approach to migration has evolved: the focus has shifted from security issues to a «migration-development» model, which recognizes the contribution of labor migration to economic growth in both sending and receiving countries. This is reflected in strategic documents such as the Concept for the Further Development of the CIS (2020) and the Economic Development Strategy until 2030.
Demographic differences among CIS countries create an imbalance in the labor market: some states face a surplus of labor, while others experience a shortage. This underscores the need for a coordinated policy, including organized recruitment of migrants, recognition of qualifications, and social adaptation.
Practical measures include developing a new version of the Concept of a Common Migration Space (2025), implementing the Agreement on Cooperation in the Sphere of Employment (2021), and adopting the Concept for Forming a Common Labor Market (2024). Particular attention is paid to protecting migrants’ rights, combating illegal migration, and creating transparent administrative procedures.
In conclusion, the article cites a statement by CIS Secretary-General Sergey Lebedev, who noted that “effective regulation of migration processes is one of the most pressing issues for the Commonwealth of Independent States. A shared history, long-established cultural and human ties, and the absence of linguistic and, in most cases, visa barriers have predetermined the active movement of our countries’ citizens across their territories”. According to the Secretary-General, if the priority in the first stage of the CIS’s activities was the “migration-security” problem, the current prevailing approach is the comprehensive “migration-development” model. Therefore, it is within this framework that tasks in the field of migration are formulated in the strategic program documents determining the Commonwealth’s further development.