People leaving Turkmenistan in search of a better life

In August 2015, 8735 people migrated from Turkmenistan, a local newspaper Chronicles of Turkmenistan reported referring to the Migration Service, on October 9. 

According to the paper, “only 1200 of them are members of the Russian-speaking communities — Russian, Ukrainian and Belarus. The rest are representatives of indigenous ethnicities, primarily Turkmens.”  The paper writes that in July 2015, 828 families left Turkmenistan forever.

The overwhelming majority of the newspaper’s respondents leaving the country say the main reasons behind their departure are the deteriorating economic situation and the lack of any prospects.