Urbanization, migration and distribution of population very topical for Kazakhstan - Conference in Almaty

According to S.Akhmetov, the Head of the State raised Kazakhstan's migration policy to a list of the leading priorities of the national security. Economy's globalization and unbalance of social-economic development of countries led to human migration's obtaining of unprecedented significance in the modern world.
"Our country is one of the transitional in the world transit, over the years of independence it became an active participant of migration processes. First of all, it was determined by social-economic stability in our country. Steady economic growth, living standards raising, no interethnic conflicts, large territory and geopolitical position turned the country in one of the center of gravity for migration flows", S.Akhmetov thinks.
Characterizing the migration situation in the country, it is necessary to take into account its weak and strong aspects. "Weak aspects are reduction of migration's debit balance, decrease of migrants' number, immigration growth: in 2008 over 45 thousand people left Kazakhstan and it is more by 6.6 percent against 2007. And it is predominance of hardworking population among immigrants, disorder of the processes of internal migration, preservation of illegal migration", he noted.
The strong aspects include the fact that migration in Kazakhstan develops in social stability, democratization and economic growth, the policy on ethnic repatriates' attraction is conducted. "At present over 700 thousand ethnic Kazakhs returned to their Motherland. In accordance with the norms of international law there are taken measures on illegal migration preservation, violence against migrants and trafficking in human beings", S.Akhmetov said.
According to him, Nurly kosh state program is implemented in the country, the main goal of which is rational resettlement on a voluntary basis of ethnic Kazakhs arrived from abroad and Kazakhstan's citizens, who live in disadvantaged regions of the country. it was emphasized that the program's implementation will get further development in 2010-2012.
"From the beginning of 1993 resettlement of ethnic migrants is regulated by the corresponding quota. The country received over one million ethnic migrant in the period from 1991 to date. Over 14 thousand families were recived within the quota", the representative of the National Commission said.
Migration policy on labor migration foresees attraction of foreign professional specialists. The issues of the labor migration management in Kazakhstan become more topical. "The country's labor market is characterized by steady unemployment decrease - 6.3 percent - and increase of employed population number - over 8.4 mln people", he noted.
"Kazakhstan takes part in solution of refugees problems. The number of refugees in the country makes up 622 persons. At present the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On refugees" was adopted", Serik Akhmetov added.