The number of Tajik citizens participating in Russia's state program for resettling compatriots has declined significantly over the past year, according to monitoring data from Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs published by the CIS Executive Committee press service, Avesta.tj reports.
Statistics: From First to Seventh Place
Over the first three quarters of 2025, 27,700 people received certificates as program participants, with 21,400 having already relocated to Russia. This was previously announced by Evgeny Primakov, head of Rossotrudnichestvo, who listed Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Armenia among the countries of origin.
However, detailed MVD statistics reveal that Tajikistan has fallen out of the leading positions:
- In Q1 2023, applicants from Tajikistan accounted for 37.2% of all program applications — ranking first;
- In Q1 2025, their share dropped to 4.1%, pushing the country down to seventh place;
- In Q3 2025, resettlers from Tajikistan represented just 2.4% — the lowest figure recorded during the observation period.
Kazakhstan has become the leader in both applications and actual resettlements, followed by Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
Reasons for Declining Interest
Experts highlight two key factors:
- Language barrier. Since January 1, 2024, candidates have been required to demonstrate proficiency in Russian. Following the introduction of this requirement, the flow of applications from Tajikistan dropped sharply.
- Demographic structure. The average family size of resettlers is approximately 2.3 persons, a pattern typical primarily of Russian-speaking and non-indigenous populations in Central Asia. This limits the program's broad applicability in countries with different family models.
Conclusions
Official data contradict claims of mass resettlement of Tajik citizens to Russia under the compatriot program. On the contrary, a steady decline in the share of Tajik participants is evident, reflecting both changes to program rules and shifting migration preferences across the region.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
February 26, 2026