Uzbekistan to cover repatriation costs for deceased labor migrants

The costs of repatriating the bodies of Uzbek citizens who die while working abroad will now be covered by the state, following a recent amendment to national legislation.

Photo: MES

A new provision was added on February 7 to the Law on burial and burial services, stipulating that expenses related to transporting the bodies of deceased labor migrants back to Uzbekistan will be financed by the Migration Fund.

Under the revised rules, all costs associated with organizing the return of a deceased citizen who passed away during the period of labor migration will be covered from the fund’s resources. The financing will be administered through the Migration Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers, in accordance with procedures set out in the legislation.

The measure is intended to ease the financial burden on the families of migrant workers and ensure a standardized, state-supported mechanism for handling such cases. Uzbekistan has a large number of citizens working abroad, and the new provision formalizes state responsibility in situations involving death during labor migration.