Negotiations between Russia and Afghanistan on attracting Afghan citizens to the Russian labor market have stalled. As noted by Zamir Kabulov, the Russian presidential special envoy for Afghanistan, the parties have not begun a detailed review of this initiative, and no positive developments are expected in the near future.
According to experts, the main obstacles in this process include low language proficiency, difficulties related to cultural integration, and security issues. According to the rules of the Russian Interior Ministry, foreigners must confirm their knowledge of the Russian language, Russian history, and the basics of legislation to obtain a work permit. These requirements can be waived only for certain categories of specialists.
Although there is a labor shortage in the Russian economy, the issue of mass recruitment of Afghan workers is currently off the agenda. As of June 2025, approximately 100 Afghans were working in Russia as painters, welders, and electricians. Previously, agreements on recruiting about 1,000 workers for agricultural and infrastructure restoration projects had also been discussed.
Today, more than 70 percent of labor migrants arriving in Russia come from CIS countries, particularly Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. In the first half of 2026, 147,000 work permits were issued in Russia to citizens of China, India, Vietnam, Turkey, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, which is one-third more than in the same period last year.
