Uzbekistan and Sweden to Launch 1.5-Year Migration Pilot Program

During negotiations, Mukhsin Khoja Abdurakhmanov, Director of the Migration Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan, and Annika Gottberg, Deputy Director General of the Swedish Migration Agency, discussed the legal employment of citizens and the training of specialists for the Swedish labor market.

The Uzbek side proposed preparing candidates at domestic technical colleges, taking into account the requirements of Swedish employers. The country has 643 technical colleges, where approximately half a million students are enrolled. The programs may include vocational training, Swedish language instruction, and the involvement of Swedish specialists in training and skills assessment.

Additionally, the parties proposed exploring the possibility of establishing a Swedish language testing center in Uzbekistan. The exact terms of cooperation are planned to be determined in stages, with an evaluation of intermediate results.

The Swedish side stated that foreigners are hired primarily when there is demand from employers, and companies make the decisions themselves. In 2025, the country issued approximately 30,000 work permits. In-demand sectors include information technology, programming, engineering, and technical specialties.

Participants in the meeting also discussed the transparency of permit issuance, protection of workers from exploitation, combating unscrupulous intermediaries, and informing citizens about employment conditions. The parties intend to continue consultations and hold technical meetings. Further areas of cooperation will be reviewed by the project's steering committee.