Russia as a New Immigration Country: Policy Response and Public Debate |
| |
Authors: | Vladimir S. Malakhov |
| |
Affiliation: | 1. Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences;2. Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration |
| |
Abstract: | Both the Russian public and its elites were taken by surprise by the fact that Russia has become an immigration country. It has resulted in widespread anti-immigrant sentiments and inconsistency in government actions. Russian immigration politics, as well as immigration politics in liberal democracies of the West, are characterised by a wavering between protectionist and liberal laissez faire approaches. This leads to a mismatch between public rhetoric and legal decisions. However, two features seem to make the Russian situation specific: open borders with most of the countries of the former Soviet Union and omnipresent corruption. Corruption results in a discrepancy between formal (legal) decisions and informal (illegal) practices. |
| |
Keywords: | |
|
|