In recent years, a growing number of Kazakh citizens have gone abroad for seasonal work, especially to the United Kingdom, marking a new socio-economic trend. This shift has reshaped not only labor migration patterns but also financial flows.
Seasonal farm work
As of May 2025, remittances from the U.K. to Kazakhstan totaled 3.58 billion tenge (about $7 million), accounting for 18.8% of all international money transfers. The number of transfers from the U.K. hit 10,000 per month, making Britain the second-largest source of remittances to Kazakhstan.
Historically, money transfers from the U.K. were far lower. But since 2021, that picture has changed dramatically, largely due to the expansion of the British government’s seasonal worker program.
In 2021, only 391 Kazakh citizens worked in the U.K. By 2023, that number had soared to 5,000. This surge in labor migration has directly fueled a sharp rise in money transfers back home.
In Britain, agricultural workers earn at least £11.40 an hour. With a required 32-hour workweek, that translates to a monthly income of nearly $2,000. Given the wage gap between the U.K. and Kazakhstan, these workers frequently send money home to support their families.
Transfers are at an all-time high
According to Kazakhstan’s National Bank, total remittances from abroad topped 19 billion tenge (about $37 million) in May 2025.
| International remittances to Kazakhstan, May 2025 | ||
| Country | Amount, KZT million | Share of the total, % |
| Russia | 4,621.36 | 24.20% |
| U.K. | 3,579.54 | 18.80% |
| Uzbekistan | 1,988.75 | 10.40% |
| U.S. | 1,829.28 | 9.60% |
| Turkey | 1,553.79 | 8.20% |
| South Korea | 1,087.17 | 5.70% |
| Germany | 982.36 | 5.20% |
| Kyrgyzstan | 732.11 | 3.80% |
| Georgia | 490.61 | 2.60% |
| Azerbaijan | 290.66 | 1.50% |
| Other | 1,903.67 | 10.00% |
| TOTAL | 19,059.29 | 100% |
Top sources of remittances:
- Russia is the largest contributor, with about $9 million (nearly a quarter of the total). This reflects the large number of Kazakh migrant workers in Russia.
- The U.K. is in second place with $7 million, highlighting the growing activity of Kazakh migrants, particularly those in higher-paying seasonal jobs.
- Central Asian neighbors — Uzbekistan (10.4%) and Kyrgyzstan (3.8%) are also significant sources, driven by labor migration and family ties.
- The U.S. (9.6%), Germany (5.2%) and South Korea (5.7%) round out the top sources, with transfers often coming from students, professionals or family members.
The sharp rise in remittances from the U.K. signals how Kazakhstani citizens are adapting to global labor markets and seeking new income opportunities abroad, a trend likely to grow in the coming years.
Picking strawberries
Each year, the British government brings in thousands of foreign laborers to help plant, maintain and harvest crops. These temporary jobs typically last about six months, with most workers heading to England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
The work involves harvesting fruits, vegetables and flowers in open fields or greenhouses. Demand peaks in spring and fall, though some work is available in other seasons, albeit less frequently and at lower pay.
Field work is physically demanding, as it’s outdoors and often exposed to rain or sun. However, it tends to pay more than other assignments.
While seasonal agriculture jobs were once dominated by Eastern Europeans, recent years have seen more workers arriving from Central Asia in search of opportunity.
In Kazakhstan, seasonal agricultural work in the U.K. is often associated with strawberry picking. The trend even made it into a local television skit, where a customer asks a vendor, «Are these strawberries local?» The vendor replies, «No, they’re not — they’re from Britain. But our people picked them, so I guess they’re partly local!»
