President Mirziyoyev and German Chancellor Scholz sign migration agreement to facilitate legal migration

On Sunday, September 15, in the city of Samarkand, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Federal Minister of the Interior and Community Nancy Faeser signed a migration agreement with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, AFP reported citing a representative of the German government.

The new agreement, prepared over several months, is expected to simplify the legal migration of Uzbek citizens to Germany. At the same time, Tashkent will be obliged to accept those in Germany who are residing without legal grounds.

“We are attracting skilled workers urgently needed in the country in sectors such as industry, crafts, healthcare, and many others,” said Faeser in an interview with Rheinische Post. She also emphasized that “those who do not have the right to stay in Germany must leave our country quickly.”

Media: Germany Plans to Return Afghans Through Uzbekistan

In June, Der Spiegel magazine reported that the German government was negotiating with Uzbekistan to deport Afghans who do not have the right to asylum, without direct agreements with the Taliban.

According to the publication, at the end of May, a German delegation visited Tashkent on the instructions of Interior Minister Faeser to discuss the relevant plan with the Uzbek government. "The Germans offered a concrete plan to the Uzbek government," the report said. "According to it, Germany could deliver Afghan candidates to Tashkent via charter flights. This route was developed to ensure that Berlin could deport Afghans without direct negotiations with the Taliban government."

As journalists pointed out, after the German Ministry of the Interior's delegation returned from Tashkent, the negotiations were described as “constructive,” and the Uzbek government promised assistance if an official migration agreement between Berlin and Tashkent was signed.

Scholz to Continue His Central Asia Tour with a Visit to Kazakhstan

On Monday, September 16, the German government leader plans to meet with representatives of civil society in Uzbekistan, as well as participate in the Germany-Uzbekistan business forum, AFP reports. Following that, Scholz is scheduled to visit Kazakhstan, where he will participate in the "C5+1" summit with the leaders of Central Asia's five republics: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan.

Previously, experts speculated in an interview with DW that the main focus of the meeting would be improving economic ties with the region. As such, the German government reported that a “large and high-ranking economic delegation” is accompanying the Chancellor on his visit to Central Asia.