Сhallenges and Contradictions of Russian Migration Policy

Abstract

This paper deals with the transformation of Russian migration policy from the collapse of the Soviet Union until 2015. The author outlines major periods of Russian migration policy showing how the focus on repatriating Russian-speaking population from the former Soviet Republics in the 1990s and restrictive measures totally ignoring the integration of migrants in the first half of the 2000s were gradually replaced by more liberal and inclusive policy of the 2010s. This transformation was partly due to an understanding of economic and demographic pressures and the need to deal with the outcomes of previous rather ineffective migration policies which produced several millions of undocumented migrants mostly from Central Asia. The Russian case demonstrates that negligent and contradictory migration policy may well lead to a surge of racism and ethno-nationalism, xenophobia, alienation and marginalization of migrants, emergence of new social inequalities. However, new migration policy of the 2010s faces major challenges. Its implementation is complicated by an unfavorable xenophobic environment, highly politicized migration agenda and widespread institutional corruption. The Russian migration policy is evaluated focusing on its most significant directions: the labour migration and integration policies. The analysis proceeds along three dimensions: the regulation of the number of migrants to be admitted; the differentiation and selection of the migrants; the migrant rights. The author argues that despite some diversification and liberalization of the current migration policy Russia faces significant external and internal challenges in order to develop an effective agenda providing migrant workers’ rights and fostering their integration.