Labour migrants increase in Azerbaijan

In 2008 there were 4,700 legally registered migrants in Azerbaijan whereas by the end of 2010 the number will reach around 10,000. Over the last 7 years Azerbaijan has become a receiver of labour migrants as it had a deficit of professional staff in part due to the fact that much of the Azeri population itself left for other countries. Independent analysts believe that in reality the number of labour migrants in the country is much higher than the official statistics show. There are a large number of Chinese nationals involved in trade in Baku, Sumgait and Ganja. Although the government has increased sanctions against business owners who hire illegal labour migrants, the number continues to increase.