ABSTRACT
In transitional Central Asia, migration is generally perceived as still the only choice for many people, who seem to ignore the many risks entailed but argue that options to stay at home are unavailable to them, a fact underlined in responses to the questionnaire administered in northern Tajikistan. Recently, Central Asian governments, including Tajikistan, have particularly looked to the Philippines for a model of efficient migration management and profit maximisation for the home country. With foreign labour migration playing such an important role in Tajikistani society since the end of the civil war, it is not surprising that government has attempted to manage it through formal institutions, including state agencies, legislation and treaties with destination countries. The international organisations, such as the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Women and the European Union, have made various contributions to certain fields of migration policy.
