Since independence of the Central Asian states in the aftermath of the end of the of the USSR, their economic situation has markedly deteriorated. As a result, labor migration from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Russia and Kazakhstan has significantly increased during the past two decades. This trend continues notwithstanding the cuts caused by the global economic crisis. Financed by the Gerda-Henkel-Foundation, BICC is conducting a pilot study which investigates mid- and long-term effects of labor migration on the development and stability of Tajik society.