Uzbekistan and Sweden discuss pilot labor migration program

On the Swedish side, the meeting was attended by Annika Gottberg, Deputy Director General of the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket). In addition, the head of the Vocational Education Agency Azimjon Khusanov, diplomats, and staff members of the Presidential Administration participated in the talks. Uzbekistan proposed studying the launch of targeted programs in colleges tailored to the demands of Swedish employers, organizing Swedish language classes, engaging specialists from Sweden to train and assess the skills of candidates, and considering the opening of a Swedish language testing center in the country. According to the agency, there are 643 technical colleges in Uzbekistan, where about 500,000 students are learning more than 350 professions.

In addition, the discussions touched on the transparency of work permit issuance, the prevention of labor exploitation, and countering unscrupulous intermediaries. The Swedish side explained that foreigners are hired primarily based on employer demand, with decisions made by the companies themselves. IT and programming, as well as engineering and technical specialties, were named among in-demand fields. The parties confirmed their interest in the pilot program and in technical meetings of relevant specialists; a project steering committee will review further directions.

The governments of the two countries concluded an agreement on a comprehensive partnership in the field of migration and mobility on June 10, 2026, and it came into force on November 1. Abdurakhmonov also met with Swedish Minister for Migration Johan Forssell. As Anhor.uz notes, on June 1, 2026, Sweden tightened requirements: the standard minimum salary threshold for a work permit is 90% of the median wage, which in November stands at 34,470 kronor per month; exceptions are provided for certain categories.