Addressing the Challenges of Labour Migration within the EAEU

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is based on the Treaty signed by the leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia on 29 May 2014 and came into force on 1 January 2015. Armenia and Kyrgyzstan joined the EAEU in 2015. The EAEU represents an integrated single market of 183 million people characterized by the free movement of goods, capital, services and people as well as common policies in various spheres. Nevertheless, the labour market integration among the five Member States is far from complete and the significant labour migration amongst them remains hampered by various factors that shall be further analysed in this report. The main aim of the report is to assess the efficiency of labour migration and its management within the EAEU and to identify the respective opportunities, risks and challenges for migrant workers.

The resulting policy recommendations propose a simplification of the administrative procedures for migrant workers, the introduction of a monitoring system, the harmonization of the national pension systems as well as an improved access to medical services for migrant workers and their families whose fundamental rights need to be properly protected. The establishing of a dedicated financial instrument and a vocational training program would represent further important steps. In the long term, the establishment of concrete strategic objectives of EAEU integration would be paramount.