On June 2012, the President of Russia Vladimir Putin has approved the State Migration Policy Concept of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2025.
The Concept contains principles, objectives, key areas and mechanisms of implementation of the Russian migration policy and applies to foreign and Russian citizens.
The first part of the Concept contains the description of the poor situation in migration processes in Russia, absence of accurate mechanisms of migration policy as well as imperfect Russian migration legislation, etc.
Let us introduce you the most considerable of them:
Migration processes play a significant part in social, economical and demographic development of Russia. The increase of emigrants’ inflow has balanced the population loss within the last 20 years in Russia. According to the high and medium forecasts of the Federal State Statistics Service total population of Russian by 2025 will be 142,8 – 145,6 million people.
Migration for permanent residence to Russia becomes one of the main sources to increase the population. Hiring foreign workers on qualified positions mostly required by Russian economy is the essential part of the further economic development.
One of the strategic goal is creating the conditions and programs for hiring of highly qualified specialists and other qualified foreign workers needed on the Russian labor market, as well as entrepreneurs and investors, preferably for long-term operation.
Today the "migration attractiveness" of Russia over other States is not very high. It applies mostly to CIS citizens. The migration outflow from Russia continues. Even those, who come to Russia from CIS countries now, have poorer educational level, Russian language skills and qualified professional experience, than their predecessors.
Internal migration situation is also unfavorable. Russian population differs in low territorial mobility (including local) from other countries. This is the result of movement expenses, poor transport system, high prices for accommodation and rent, low income of the most part of population. The main direction for internal migration is movement from the East to the Center and the Moscow region, which increases the imbalance in population allocation on the territory of Russia.
Russian migration legislation does not fully correspond to the current and future demands of economical, social and demographical development, employers and nation concerns. It is focused on temporary foreign citizens hire and does not contain measures for promoting permanent residence in Russia, adaptation and integration of migrants.
Imperfection of the current migration management system causes the increase of the illegal migrants. From 3 to 5 million of foreign citizens work without formal permits every year on the territory of Russia. Illegal migration processes, giving labor force to shadow economy cause the increase of negative attitude to migrants by the Russians.
State program, facilitating the voluntary resettlement of compatriots living abroad is the only mechanism to attract migrants for permanent residence within the needed professional, educational, economical, demographical, social, cultural and other characteristics, who can successfully integrate and adapt in Russian society. Difficulties in obtaining temporary residence permit and permanent residence permit make the process of obtaining Russian citizenship for the major part of law-abiding migrants very complicated.
The system of hiring of temporary migrant workers and the system of estimation of foreign labor hire demands shall be improved. The period of labor agreement validity with foreign worker, notwithstanding his qualification, is limited by 1 year. The procedure of foreign labor hire is complicated and long-term. Highly Qualified Specialists are the only exception.
There are no special programs for vacational and seasonal labor migration. Quota processing system is imperfect. Long-term period of quota application approval does not meet the employers’ demands to fulfill the appropriate vacancies.
The potential of Russian educational system is used incompletely. Educational migration is the source of qualified and integrated into the country foreign citizens. Law restrictions for students’ employment during the period of study and after graduating reduce the attractiveness of the Russian education to foreign students.
One of the main directions for Russian State migration policy is creating conditions for adaptation and integration of migrants, defense of their rights and freedoms, social protection. These problems cannot be solved before the problems with obtaining status of permanent residence and the legal status of foreign citizens on the territory of Russia will be solved. Absence of State programs for adaptation and integration affects migrant isolation in the society and increases negative attitude towards them. The program for adaptation and integration shall involve all parties concerned (governments of migrants’ native countries, migrants themselves, business entities, nongovernmental organizations) and make use of mass media potential.
The Government shall provide assistance to forced migrants in accommodation, development of the procedure of refugee status granting and temporary humanitarian shelter.
The implementation of the plan to increase population, labor force and innovative potential development by attracting migrants, it should be noted, that the migration recourses of CIS countries, focused on Russia will be decreasing in the future.
For realization of the migration processes potential, the whole system of their operation shall be renovated in Russia.
The second part of the Concept includes the goals, principles, objectives and key areas of migration policy of Russia.
The main goals of Russian migration policy are: stabilization and increase of permanent population number, fulfilling the demands of the Russian economy with labor force, modernization, innovative development and improvement of the Russian economy competitiveness.
Principles of Russian State migration policy:
- national labor market protection;
- differentiated approach to migration flow which considers the aims, periods of stay, social, demographical, professional and qualification characteristics of migrants;
- consideration of the peculiarities of the region development;
- easy access and availability of information, concerning migration processes and settled decisions in the area of Russian State migration policy;
- scientific approach to settled decisions.
Objectives of Russian migration policy:
- promotion of Russia between compatriots living abroad, emigrants and some categories of foreign citizens on returning to Russia for permanent stay;
- development of differentiated system for attracting, selection and employment of foreign citizens;
- assistance in internal migration policy development;
- educational migration and academic mobility support;
- assistance in adaptation and integration of migrants, establishment of the constructive communication between migrants and society;
- carrying out measures to react against illegal migration.
The principle directions for Russian migration policy
In the area of promoting Russia between compatriots living abroad, emigrants and some categories of foreign citizens on returning to Russia for permanent stay the objectives are:
- assistance in voluntary resettlement to Russia of compatriots, living abroad; assistance to emigrants in returning to Russia;
- realization of the State program on assistance in voluntary resettle of compatriots, living abroad in Russia, its renovation and prolongation for indefinite term;
- promotion of the immigration of qualified specialists and other foreign workers, demanded on the Russian labor market;
- creating conditions for immigration to Russia by entrepreneurs and investors;
- assistance in migration of foreign citizens for family reunion in Russia;
- promotion of the migration of young specialists with highly demanded on the Russian labor market professions and providing of preferences in obtaining residence permit for foreign citizens, graduating from Russian institutions of professional education with demanded on the Russian labor market professions;
- modernization of mechanisms for obtaining temporary and permanent residence permits;
- introduction of rating scale system for selection of those migrants, who intend to get residence permit;
- introduction of accelerated (facilitating) procedure of obtaining Russian citizenship (on the basis of permanent residence permit) for entrepreneurs, investors, qualified specialists and their family members, as well as graduates of Russian institutions of professional education.
In the area of development of differentiated system for attracting, selection and employment of foreign citizens on a highly demanded by Russian economy positions the objectives are:
- creating of effective mechanism for assessing foreign labor hire demands based on the forecasts of the economy and national labor market developments;
- development of quota processing system and other instruments for foreign labor engagement control;
- creation of differentiated programs for short-term and long-term labor migration which consider different mechanisms for selection, stay and work of foreign citizens, including:
- the program of attracting Highly Qualified Specialists and other qualified workers within deficit and highly demanded professions on a Russian labor market;
- the programs of collective hiring of foreign workers; the programs hiring seasonal workers and foreign students wishing to work on their vacations.
- infrastructural development in the sphere of labor migration on the basis of cooperation between state, private and non-commercial organizations;
- introduction of the mechanisms to stimulate foreign citizens working on highly demanded by Russian economy positions to work within long-term labor agreements and apply for temporary resident status in Russia;
- simplification of entry and stay for foreign citizens, entering Russia with business purposes;
- simplification of entry procedure for family members, of foreign employees, hired within long-term labor agreements, elimination of restrictions on their labor activity and studying;
- establishment of the procedure of hiring foreign workers for the positions, which cannot be replaced by Russian citizens;
- improvement of the procedure of foreign citizens labor activity on the basis of Patents;
- simplification of enter, exit and stay procedures for foreign citizens, engaged in investment and entrepreneurial activities;
- simplification of enter, exit and stay procedures for accredited foreign employees of representative offices on the territory of Russia;
- improvement of the system for work permits issue;
- opening of the centers for migration to Russia assistance, centers for medical examination on the territory of Russia and abroad;
In the area of assistance in internal migration policy development, the objectives are:
- simplification of Russian citizens’ registration procedure for removal of administrative obstacles for place of temporary stay or residence change;
- to provide access for Russian citizens to social, medical and other services at their place of stay (temporary residence);
- inform people on employment opportunities when moving to another region;
- development of different forms of temporary local mobility for the purpose of employment, including shift work and flexible work schedules;
- support of Russian citizens in educational migration, including acquiring education and advanced training at the professions, highly demanded on the Russian labor market;
- support to internal migration between regional centers, small towns and rural villages;
- create housing infrastructure for working and educational migrants, based on public-private partnerships;
- support of the regions and territories, conducting active measures for local migration, also within federal programs;
- development of low-cost segment of rent accommodation;
- development of partnerships between state centers for employment and commercial agencies, engaged in Russian citizens employment outside of their place of residence;
- improvement of federal and regional banks of vacancies, regional and interregional systems of informing people of employment opportunities and conditions;
- establishment of funds, engaged in promotion of Russian citizens migration for employment to other regions, including the Far Eastern regions;
- increasing of investment attractiveness of the Far Eastern and Siberian regions, border and strategically important territories in order to create social and transport infrastructure required for immigration, as well as reducing transport isolation from other regions of the Central Russia;
- development of transport infrastructure, local and distance passenger transportations;
- subsidy assistance of passenger air transportations between eastern and western parts of Russia.
In the area of educational migration and academic mobility support the objectives are:
- improvement of educational conditions for Russian and foreign students, notwithstanding their citizenship and place of residence in Russia;
- increase in the number of students of higher and secondary professional education, primarily by CIS citizens;
- improvement of foreign students stay in Russia, their social and culture adaptation, medical insurance, security providing;
- provide Russian educational services for foreign countries – the centers of mass migration to Russia;
- facilitate of mobility of specialists, engaged in educational, research, expert and analytic works in educational institutions and scientific organizations;
- organizational, informational and financial support for educational and scientific institutions in academic mobility program implementation and promoting of immigration of foreign scientists for employment within long-term labor agreements;
- provide opportunity for foreign citizens to work during the period of their studying in Russia on the same conditions as for Russian students;
- provide opportunity for foreign citizens, graduating from Russian institutions of higher and secondary professional education to work within their profession in Russia;
- establishment of pre-university training and Russian language centers in educational institutions of primary professional education in high migration rate countries;
- simplification of administrative procedures, related to entry and stay of foreign citizens, engaged in education, research, expert and analytic works in educational institutions and scientific organizations, as well as participating in conferences and seminars in Russia;
- simplification of permanent residence status obtaining for foreign citizens, engaged in educational, research, expert and analytic works in educational institutions and scientific organizations as well as for their family members;
- facilitate of entry procedure for foreign citizens’ family members, engaged in educational, research, expert and analytic works in educational institutions and scientific organizations, elimination of restrictions on their labor activity and studying;
- development of grant system for Russian citizens who obtained education abroad for stimulating their return to Russia.
In the area of assistance in adaptation and integration of migrants, establishment of the constructive communication between migrants and society, the objectives are:
- promotion of cultural relations between nations and religions, anti xenophobial, national and racial intolerance measures;
- creation of conditions for adaptation and integration of migrants, including study of Russian language, promotion of legal aspects, distribution of culture traditions and standards of behavior to the appropriate infrastructures in migrants’ native countries and regions of Russia with the highest migrants inflow, as well as using of mass media potential and opportunities of culture centers for adaptation in migrants’ native countries;
- provide foreign citizens and their family members with social, medical and educational services in accordance with legal status;
- assistance in spreading of Russian language and culture abroad;
- create infrastructure for integration and adaptation of migrant workers, including informational and legal support centers and courses of Russian language, history and culture, as well as special media channels and television programs, focused on social, cultural and language adaptation of migrants.
International cooperation
International cooperation in migration area is implemented within the following directions:
- broadening cooperation with international organizations for migration and making use of their potential;
- creating conditions for free transit and employment of citizens in accordance with international agreements;
- developing the legal base on interaction with foreign countries on migration issues;
- signing international agreements on migration that promote the flow of foreign investment into Russia.
The stages of Russian migration policy implementation
The first stage (2012 – 2015):
- development and adaptation of corresponding laws and regulations of the Russian Federation, ensuring the implementation of goals, objectives, and the main directions of Russian migration policy;
- development and appraisal of corresponding programs within the main directions of Russian migration policy;
- opening of the centers for migration to Russia assistance and centers for migrants medical examination in Russia as well as abroad;
- creation of housing infrastructure for migrant workers, based on public-private partnerships;
- creation of infrastructure for integration and adaptation of migrant workers, including centers for informational and legal support, courses of Russian language, history and culture;
- execution of selected researches on internal and international migration.
The second stage (2016 – 2020):
- adoption of programs within the realization of the main objectives of Russian State migration policy;
- implementation and monitoring of the adopted programs within the realization of the main objectives of Russian State migration policy;
- generalization and analysis of the laws and regulations adopted within the realization of the main objectives of Russian State migration policy;
- expansion of the informational technologies for observance of migration situation as well as affirmation of statistic and analytic studies, concerning the internal and international migration area.
It is assumed that the migration outflow of Siberian and Far Eastern residents will stop within the realization of the second stage by 2021.
The third step (2021 – 2025):
- assessment of the efficiency of the adopted programs within the realization of the main objectives of Russian State migration policy;
- correction of the main strategic directions, priorities and main objectives of Russian State migration policy.
It is assumed that the implementation of the third stage will result in migration inflow to the Siberian and Far Eastern regions by 2026.
The full version of the State Migration Policy Concept is available here.
