Today's world is the world of dynamics and speed. To survive in it, it needs to constantly change with it and continually acquire new knowledge and skills.
And if we do not have power over time, in which we live, then no one forbids us to change the place of work. Exactly for this, people can go to "distant lands", looking for a decent job with the worthy earnings.
Labour migration, as a phenomenon, has been known for more than thousand years. It constantly changed as the social order and consequently, the worldview of people changed. And at all times, this process needs to be managed and controlled. Now it has been well formed, a process that takes an important place in the life of every country.
The problem of labor migration has always been urgent, but for Azerbaijan has become even more urgent in recent years. Many have a free entry to the territory of foreign states. Most people go to another country in an attempt to find temporary or well-paid jobs.
Over the past decade, the migration processes have intensified, both in terms of quantitative and qualitative indicators: forms and direction of movement of labor flows have changed. Now this phenomenon has reached such levels that the state and international organizations, who did not formerly experience problems with migration, were forced to work together to resolve problems with migration.
Crisis and migration
The global recession led to a reduction in the number of new migrants in the world, but few people, who had left their homeland in more prosperous times, decided to return. This is indicated by data from a study conducted at the order of BBC World Service.
However, the money transfers from migrants to their homeland noticeably reduced.
For some countries, it proved to be particularly sensitive: for example, in Moldova, the transfers from migrant workers accounted for one third of GDP, and because of the crisis, they decreased by 37%.
The same tendency of decline in transfers was observed in Azerbaijan. In 2008, the transfers to Azerbaijan from compatriots abroad accounted for approximately $1 billion. Despite this is not a particularly large figure for the scale of Azerbaijan, this figure is essential to ensure the social condition of the population, especially in regions of the country. In 2009 the transfers declined by 20 percent due to problems in other countries.
After the crisis, many countries tightened conditions for migrant workers: in December 2008, Russia announced a reduction in the number of issued work permits for foreigners by half - from 4 million to 2 million, the report said.
Migrant workers were forced to send less money to and from Russia, which by 2008 was one of the leading source country for transfers: according to the World Bank, if in 2000 it accounted for less than 1% of transfers, in 2008 the figure totaled about 6%.
Because of crisis, some countries created special programs that encourage migrants to return: they offer them one-time payment and pay a one way ticket. Such programs have appeared in Japan, Spain, the Czech Republic: it is interesting that in Spain and the Czech Republic the Russian citizens can participate in them.
Labor migration in Azerbaijan
The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Azerbaijan notices the increase in the number of foreign migrant workers in the country's economy. The head of the Ministry's labour migration department Rauf Tagiyev said that today 6,386 foreign migrant workers have officially been registered in Azerbaijan.
Of them, approximately 30 percent are employed in the oil and construction sectors, and others - in other sectors of the economy.
The above statistics is based on international standards - migrants who have been registered and receive an official salary, although upon the estimates of the Ministry, the number of actual migrants is several times more.
In order to facilitate the development of the labor market and regulate the labor migration in the country, Azerbaijani Parliament amended the Law on Entrepreneurship, limiting the involvement of foreign labor in the economy.
Contained in the amendments, the provision on the numbering of foreign nationals in the staff meets the legal practice of the country, because all production sharing agreements (PSA) concluded in the country contain a provision on the level of involvement of local staff.
Under the amendments, during the appointment of managers and their assistants at enterprises with foreign participation (even if foreign capital is more than 51%) the foreign nationals must obtain permission of the authorized agency of state power in Azerbaijan. State registration of branches and representative offices of foreign enterprises is carried out with authorized agency's consent for the appointment of their heads.
Also norms were introduced that practically in all sectors of economy the Azerbaijani citizens at enterprises with foreign participation (even if foreign capital is more than 51%) should not be less than 90 percent.
Quota
Since 2009, Azerbaijan has imposed quotas for migrant workers, which allows to predict the number of foreigners arriving in Azerbaijan.
In 2010, the quota of labor migration in Azerbaijan was determined at the level of 10,700 people. According to the Minister of Labour and Social Protection Fizuli Alekperov, in the first quarter, an increase was recorded in the number of labor migrants in the country.
"Currently, 6,386 people from 82 countries are working in Azerbaijan on the basis of individual permissions, which is 602 people (or 1.4 times) more. During the first quarter, 1,976 persons extended the period of permission that is 397 people (or 1.3 times) more than the same period of the last year," said the minister.
Migration through one window
In addition to the quota on the labor migration, a new system was introduced on involvement of foreign labor migration in Azerbaijan. On March 4, the Azerbaijani President decreed to introduce "single window" principle in the management of migration processes from July 1, 2009.
Before this, the foreigner arriving in Azerbaijan were forced to appeal to various agencies to obtain a relevant permission. However, after the presidential decree, the procedures for foreigner and stateless persons to obtain permission to live and work in the country were simplified. So the foreigner and stateless persons appeal to one state agency - State Migration Service - to resolve their problems.
However, in connection with new procedures the employment will not be easy for foreign nationals in Azerbaijan. Earlier, the amount of duty for the right to work in Azerbaijan was 45 manat, but now it increased to 1000 manat.