The Evolution of Russian Migration Policy in the Post-Soviet Period

Abstract

With a foreign-born population approaching 9 \%, Russia has the second-largest stock of migrants in the world after the USA. The country has become the main destination for migrants within the evolving Eurasian migration system. This chapter traces the evolution of Russian migration policy from relatively free movement in the immediate post-Soviet period to much more regulated migration after 2000. It analyzes (1) the actors who make and implement Russian migration policy, (2) migration trends, (3) the social, economic, and political environment in which migration policy is created, and (4) the actual laws and policies designed to regulate migration in Russia, paying particular attention to issues of restriction.