Problems of Migration and Migrants Through the Eyes of Youth: Materials of a Sociological Survey in the Republic of Bashkortostan

Abstract

The results of a study of public opinion of urban and rural population on migration in the Republic of Bashkortostan are presented. The study was conducted in stages in the spring–autumn of 2018. During the first stage, 300 respondents were interviewed (150 schoolchildren and 150 students of higher educational institutions in Ufa), during the second stage, the opinion of the urban population (260 respondents from Ufa) and the rural (40 respondents from Chekmagush village). The survey showed that the topic of migration is quite relevant and important for residents of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The vast majority of respondents unanimously believe that migrant labor is needed, and especially in those areas in which the local population is reluctant—construction, housing and communal services, and agriculture. The authors conclude that among the local population a relatively calm attitude toward attracting labor of foreign workers prevails. Bashkortostan and its capital Ufa have significant integration potential, where the majority of citizens are positive about migrant workers and the weakness of migrant-phobic sentiments.