Russia plans to expand its sources of migrants beyond the traditional former Soviet republics and attract workers from Asian countries, including Myanmar, announced Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov, quoted by the Russian agency "Interfax".
With unemployment at a historic low of 2.3%, President Vladimir Putin has identified the labor shortage as a serious problem for the economy. Last Friday, steelmaker "Severstal" publicly criticized regional policies to ban migrant labor in construction, emphasizing the need for more workers.
"We should not focus only on the countries from which we are used to attracting migrants," Reshetnikov said in a speech to the State Duma. He stressed that Russia needs to explore new opportunities, as many countries are consciously and systematically exporting labor.
According to Reshetnikov, Russia is already in talks with Myanmar, where about 6 million people out of a total population of 55 million work abroad. President Putin held a meeting in the Kremlin with Myanmar's leader and head of the military junta, Min Aung Hlaing, which further underscores Moscow's interest in this new labor resource.
The intensive recruitment of soldiers into the army and workers in the military-industrial complex has pulled a significant part of the working-age population out of the civilian sector.
Hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens have left the country since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which further reduced the number of available workers.
Another factor is growing hostility towards migrants from Central Asia following the terrorist attack in March 2024. in a concert hall near Moscow, killing 145 people. Since then, immigrants from Tajikistan and other Central Asian countries have felt increased social and political hostility in Russia.
Reshetnikov stressed that without competent regulation of migration, it will be very difficult to compensate for the labor shortage.
"We have a clear understanding that without competent regulation of migration, it will be very difficult to saturate the market with labor. We need to approach this issue openly and discuss it," the minister said.
Russia is a key ally of the military junta in Myanmar, along with China. Moscow and Beijing vetoed a UN resolution condemning human rights violations in the country. The potential flow of migrants from Myanmar to Russia can be seen as part of a broader geopolitical strategy.