Migration Code gets preliminary approval in Azerbaijani parliament
By Nigar Orujova
Azerbaijan's parliament passed the Migration Code in the first reading on May 14.
According to Ali Huseynli, chairman of the Legal Policy and State Building Committee, who introduced the draft Code, it defines the guidelines of state policy on migration, regulates relations in this sphere and norms pertaining to the legal status of foreign nationals and stateless persons in Azerbaijan.
Huseynli said the adoption of a single migration code is a necessity given the intensifying migration processes.
"The draft of the Migration Code is open for discussion. Although it mainly reflects the requirements of the valid laws regulating migration processes, there are a number of innovations aimed at transparency and efficiency of all the processes," Huseynli said.
According to the Code, the term of the temporary stay of foreigners or stateless persons who came to Azerbaijan with a visa should not exceed the time indicated in the visa, while the people who arrived in the country under a visa-free regime should not overstay the 90-day period, with the exception of the cases envisaged in an international agreement joined by Azerbaijan.
Foreigners and stateless people should undergo registration at the place of stay after three days' sojourn in the country.
After discussion, the draft law was recommended for consideration at a plenary session of the parliament.
After the Code is approved, both foreigners and citizens of Azerbaijan will be governed only by this legal act, which is expected to be very effective. The Code will regulate not only migration issues regarding foreign nationals, but also migration within the country.
The state migration law allows immigrants to work in Azerbaijan for five years by paying 1,000 manats ($1,272) in taxes every year.
The statistics shows that labor migrants mostly came to Azerbaijan from neighboring Turkey and Georgia. Turkish migrants are mainly involved in the construction sector.
Azerbaijan with its developing construction sector has a high demand for workforce, unlike Europe with the lower scale of construction work.
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