“Labor Markets and Labor Immigration in Russia: Demand, Supply and Reaction of the Accepting Society”.
29 November 2002
On November 29, 2002 the International Organization for Migration Office for Russia and the International Labor Organization Moscow Office organized a joint Conference “Labor Markets and Labor Immigration in Russia: Demand, Supply and Reaction of the Accepting Society” in Moscow.
The aim of the Conference was to bring together decision makers from the FMS MIA RF, MOLSP, MFA, President Administration also the representatives from trade unions, employers organizations, research institutions and to start the dialogue between them on the possibilities to improve the working, social and other conditions of legal and illegal migrants, what could be done by each of the partners, what problems and threats could appear in future. The ILO and the IOM are aware of the migration situation in the Russian Federation with other countries of the CIS and hope that their join efforts will make for the drawing up of the migration policy, which will meet the requirements of the international legal norms on migration, human rights and the ILO migration Conventions (N97 and N143).
The Conference contained four workshops, which covered the following issues:
Workshop I. “Labor Immigration as a Federal Government Problem”. Presentations by the representatives of the Employment Service of the Ministry of Labor of RF, Federal Migration Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of RF, Administration of the President of RF and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of RF.
Workshop II. “Labor Markets of Russia: Demand for Migrants and Competition Sectors”. Current situation of the Russian labor market and its ability to accept labor migrants, the demand for labor migrants by sectors and regions, the demand for legal and other employment as well as sectors where there would be competition with the Russian population.
Workshop III. “Labor Immigration to Russia: Problems, Consequences and Reaction of the State and Citizens”. The supply of labor migrants and their appropriateness to the Russian labor market, various aspects of the situation with labor immigrants in Russia, including legalization matters, ethnic and other discrimination, influence of these migrants on the Russian society, the attitude to them by the federal authorities (including regional levels), employers and population. The labor flows from the Ukraine and Moldova were discussed separately. In addition to the Russian scientists Moldavian and Ukrainian experts participated in this workshop.
Workshop IV. “Legal Area of Labor Immigration into Russia: Russian Legislation and International Norms”. Legal problems of labor immigrants to Russia, their influence on Russian society and directions for legislation improvement.
***
During 1998-2002 migration flows between Russia and other CIS countries and Baltic States were unstable but at the same time the common tendency was their reduction. The financial crisis in 1998 and military activities in Chechnya in 1999 evoked a sharp reduction of immigrants, especially in 1999 (1998 – 494 819; 1999- 366 655; 2000- 350 290). The whole period 1998-2000 net-migration was 865 605, at the same time immigration was 3 times more them emigration. Russia had the positive migration balance with all CIS countries and Baltic States except Belarus. Its main migration partners were Kazakhstan (46,6%), Ukraine (13,4%) and Uzbekistan (12,8%) respectively of the whole net migration in 1998-2000. Migration flows still basically consist of Russian repatriates, but their part in net-migration is visibly reduced (from 69,8% in 1997 to 55,3% in 2000) mostly due to their reduction in the CIS and Baltic countries.
During 1998-2001 the Government attention to the migration policy was minimum. It is possible to say that during this time period Russian migration policy was unclear and was accompanied by unclear changes. In 2001 Federal Migration Service at the Ministry of Internal Affairs RF was appointed as a responsible for all migration activities in the RF (including labor migration)
During 2001-2002 2 laws: On Citizenships and About the legal status of foreign citizens on the territory of the RF came into force, on 9 of December, 2002 in the State Duma there were hearings on the Conception of the State Migration policy in the RF.
At the same time the first deportations have taken place. 117 Tajik citizens who were illegally employed in the Moscow region were flown from Moscow to the Tajik capital, Dushanbe in November 2002.
Each year near to 5 ml citizens from countries which are not the countries of East Europe and Central Asia region came to Russia for a shot time period. In addition to the officially registered flows near to 1,5 min migrants (mostly Chinese and afghans) are living in Russia illegally.
The aim of the Conference was to bring together decision makers from the FMS MIA RF, MOLSP, MFA, President Administration also the representatives from trade unions, employers organizations, research institutions and to start the dialogue between them on the possibilities to improve the working, social and other conditions of legal and illegal migrants, what could be done by each of the partners, what problems and threats could appear in future. The ILO and the IOM are aware of the migration situation in the Russian Federation with other countries of the CIS and hope that their join efforts will make for the drawing up of the migration policy, which will meet the requirements of the international legal norms on migration, human rights and the ILO migration Conventions (N97 and N143).
The Conference contained four workshops, which covered the following issues:
Workshop I. “Labor Immigration as a Federal Government Problem”. Presentations by the representatives of the Employment Service of the Ministry of Labor of RF, Federal Migration Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of RF, Administration of the President of RF and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of RF.
Workshop II. “Labor Markets of Russia: Demand for Migrants and Competition Sectors”. Current situation of the Russian labor market and its ability to accept labor migrants, the demand for labor migrants by sectors and regions, the demand for legal and other employment as well as sectors where there would be competition with the Russian population.
Workshop III. “Labor Immigration to Russia: Problems, Consequences and Reaction of the State and Citizens”. The supply of labor migrants and their appropriateness to the Russian labor market, various aspects of the situation with labor immigrants in Russia, including legalization matters, ethnic and other discrimination, influence of these migrants on the Russian society, the attitude to them by the federal authorities (including regional levels), employers and population. The labor flows from the Ukraine and Moldova were discussed separately. In addition to the Russian scientists Moldavian and Ukrainian experts participated in this workshop.
Workshop IV. “Legal Area of Labor Immigration into Russia: Russian Legislation and International Norms”. Legal problems of labor immigrants to Russia, their influence on Russian society and directions for legislation improvement.
***
During 1998-2002 migration flows between Russia and other CIS countries and Baltic States were unstable but at the same time the common tendency was their reduction. The financial crisis in 1998 and military activities in Chechnya in 1999 evoked a sharp reduction of immigrants, especially in 1999 (1998 – 494 819; 1999- 366 655; 2000- 350 290). The whole period 1998-2000 net-migration was 865 605, at the same time immigration was 3 times more them emigration. Russia had the positive migration balance with all CIS countries and Baltic States except Belarus. Its main migration partners were Kazakhstan (46,6%), Ukraine (13,4%) and Uzbekistan (12,8%) respectively of the whole net migration in 1998-2000. Migration flows still basically consist of Russian repatriates, but their part in net-migration is visibly reduced (from 69,8% in 1997 to 55,3% in 2000) mostly due to their reduction in the CIS and Baltic countries.
During 1998-2001 the Government attention to the migration policy was minimum. It is possible to say that during this time period Russian migration policy was unclear and was accompanied by unclear changes. In 2001 Federal Migration Service at the Ministry of Internal Affairs RF was appointed as a responsible for all migration activities in the RF (including labor migration)
During 2001-2002 2 laws: On Citizenships and About the legal status of foreign citizens on the territory of the RF came into force, on 9 of December, 2002 in the State Duma there were hearings on the Conception of the State Migration policy in the RF.
At the same time the first deportations have taken place. 117 Tajik citizens who were illegally employed in the Moscow region were flown from Moscow to the Tajik capital, Dushanbe in November 2002.
Each year near to 5 ml citizens from countries which are not the countries of East Europe and Central Asia region came to Russia for a shot time period. In addition to the officially registered flows near to 1,5 min migrants (mostly Chinese and afghans) are living in Russia illegally.