Russia: Information on the State Program for Assisting Compatriots Residing Abroad in Their Voluntary Resettlement in the Russian Federation (2007-October 2011)

Repatriation Program

The National Program for Supporting Voluntary Migration of the Compatriots Residing Abroad to the Russian Federation, also legally known as the State Program for Assisting Compatriots Residing Abroad in Their Voluntary Resettlement in the Russian Federation (Russia 2002), was approved in 2006 (Focus Migration July 2010, 6) and launched in January 2007 (RIA Novosti 3 June 2008; Interfax 24 Jan. 2008; RFE/RL 20 Apr. 2007). Implementation of the program will be carried out in stages until 2012 (Russia 2010b, 4). According to The New York Times, Russian government officials estimated that more than 25 million people were eligible for the repatriation program, "many of them ethnic Russians who found themselves living in former Soviet republics after the Soviet collapse in 1991" (21 Mar. 2009).

The program has been promoted by a Foreign Ministry official in several countries, including Germany, Egypt, and Brazil (The New York Times 21 Mar. 2009). Promotion efforts have also extended to the Commonwealth of Independent States, Israel, and the United States (RFE/RL 20 Apr. 2007). Migration News, a newsletter that focuses on immigration and integration developments in different regions of the world and is produced with the support of the University of California-Berkeley Center for German and European Studies (n.d), notes that the Russian government spends approximately $150 million a year in support of the program (Apr. 2009). According to the Russian government, most requests for participation in the program come from "compatriots" living in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Ukraine, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan (Russia n.d.b, 9).

According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), "[t]here has been considerable confusion" about what is meant by "compatriot"; "some believe the program applies to all former Soviet citizens regardless of their ethnicity," but the Russian government "clearly sees ethnic Russians … and their family members, who may or may not be Russian," as the program's priority targets (20 Apr. 2007). A Handbook for Compatriots Who Want to Participate in the Program describes "compatriots" as follows:

• Russian citizens permanently residing abroad;
• Individuals and their descendants who live abroad and whose ancestors previously resided on Russian Federation territory, including
• former USSR citizens who are living in states that were part of the USSR, regardless of whether they became citizens of another state or are stateless, and
• emigrants from Russia throughout its various incarnations, including the Russian state, Russian republic, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, the USSR, and the Russian Federation who either became citizens of another state or became stateless persons (Russia 2010b, 5).

The website of the Russian government's Federal Migration Service describes the repatriation program and provides a list of the [translation] "competent authorities abroad" that can provide help to returnees (ibid. n.d.d). A document on the administrative procedures of the program, also posted on the website, outlines the application process and provides samples of documents required to apply (ibid. 2010a).

According to The New York Times, "the program is not open to just any descendants of Russians" (21 Mar. 2009). Several sources indicate that to be eligible for the program, in general, an individual must speak Russian and "be comfortable with the country's society and culture" (The New York Times 21 Mar. 2009; see also Migration News Apr. 2009; RIA Novosti 15 July 2010). According to RIA Novosti, a Russian news and information agency (n.d), the Russian repatriation program,

unlike similar state programs in Germany and Israel, does not open the doors to all ex-compatriots willing to return [and] Russian speakers, who do not have a legal status in the country in which they reside, [can] not take part in the program. (RIA Novosti 15 July 2010)

The program designates the areas in which new arrivals will live in Russia, "providing them with some benefits on the condition that they stay in these regions for at least two years" (Focus Migration July 2010, 6). For instance, the program is said to offer "state-supported social and financial aid programs," such as a relocation fee, a moving allowance (RIA Novosti 15 July 2010), and a fast-track naturalization process (ibid. 3 June 2008). Participants are given priority when obtaining a permit for temporary residence, which can be issued without taking into account government quotas (Russia n.d.a, 483; ibid. 2010a, 8). Sources indicate that temporary residence permits are normally subject to a quota approved by the Government of the Russian Federation (Legislationline.com n.d.; US n.d.). Furthermore, returnees can work without special work permits, and, during their stay in Russia on temporary residence permits, they have the right to apply for permanent residence and citizenship (Russa n.d.a, 483).

Evaluation of the Program

RIA Novosti describes the program as problematic because it does not allow returnees to choose where they want to settle and many of them "are not ready to pay for naturalization with a long and hard life in depopulated regions, mostly in Siberia and in the Far East," that are in need of a workforce (RIA Novosti 3 June 2008). Moreover, several regions are unable to provide support, such as "adequate salaries and housing," and in some cases the authorities of some regions look upon the returnees as "if they were a burden forced upon them" (ibid.).

Various sources criticize the program for its bureaucracy and ineffectiveness (The New York Times 21 Mar. 2009; RIA Novosti 3 June 2008; see also PhD Candidate c.2011). The number of compatriots who moved to Russia in 2007 was 682 compared with the target of 23,000 for 2007 (Focus Migration July 2010, 6). In 2008, 3,000 compatriots returned to Russia (RIA Novosti 3 June 2008). By 2009, about 10,000 people had taken advantage of the repatriation program (The New York Times 21 Mar. 2009; Migration News Apr. 2009). The Deputy Chief of the Russian Ministry for Regional Development stated that by 2010, 23,000 Russians had moved back to Russia using the state repatriation program (News.Az 28 Oct. 2010).

In 2010, a document posted by the Regional Development Ministry guaranteed "ample benefits, including permanent residence permits and six-month unemployment allowance to former Russian citizens" willing to relocate to Russia under the repatriation program (RIA Novosti 15 July 2010; see also Russia 2010a). It also committed to accelerating resettlement for entrepreneurs in any region of their choice (RIA Novosti 15 July 2010). An assistant to the Minister for Regional Development states that the new benefits "could boost the number of returnees by up to 50 percent" (ibid.).

According to the Federal Migration Service, as part of the state repatriation program, 32 regions developed regional resettlement programs that assist returnees with housing, employment, retraining, legal assistance and other services (Russia n.d.c). However, the Vice-Chairman of the State Duma Committee on the Commonwealth of Independent States indicates that, because of insufficient financial support to resettle participants, there "must first be a program for the development of the region that clearly maps out where a workforce is needed before the Ministry of Regional Development can implement its resettlement program" (RIA Novosti 15 July 2010).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Focus Migration. July 2010. Russian Federation. Country Profile No. 20. [Accessed 29 Sept. 2011]

Interfax. 24 January 2008. "Ethnic Russians Repatriation Scheme Gaining Pace -Migration Official." (Factiva)

Legislationline.com. N.d. "Russian Federation: Family Reunion." [Accessed 29 Sept. 2011]

Migration News [Davis, California]. April 2009. Vol. 16, No. 2. "Sweden, Russia, Eastern Europe." [Accessed 28 Sept. 2011]

_____. N.d. "About MN." [Accessed 29 Oct. 2011]

The New York Times. 21 March 2009. Clifford J. Levy. "Its Population Falling, Russia Beckons Its Children Home." [Accessed 28 Sept. 2011]

News.Az [Azerbaijan]. 28 October 2010. "Over 400 Russians Leave Azerbaijan by Russian State Repatriation Program." [Accessed 25 Oct. 2010]

PhD Candidate, Moscow Institute of Psychology and Sociology. [c.2011]. "Immigration and Return: The Problems of Implementing the State Program for Returning Compatriots." Document translated from Russian. Document sent to the Research Directorate through correspondence.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). 20 April 2007. Jean-Christophe Peuch. "Russia: Putin's Repatriation Scheme Off to Slow Start." [Accessed 6 Oct. 2011]

RIA Novosti. 15 July 2010. Tai Adelaja. "Voluntary Repatriation." [Accessed 27 Oct. 2011]

_____. 3 June 2008. Dmitry Babich. "Repatriated to the Wilderness." [Accessed 28 Oct. 2011]

_____. N.d. "RIA Novosti." [Accessed 27 Oct. 2011]

Russia. 2010a. Federal Migration Service. State Program: Administrative Procedures. Document translated from Russian. [Accessed 29 Sept. 2011]

_____. 2010b. Federal Migration Service. A Handbook for Compatriots Who Want to Participate in the Program. Document translated from Russian. [Accessed 29 Sept. 2011]

_____2002. Federal Law No. 62-FZ of 2002 on Russian Federation Citizenship. Translated by the Translation Bureau, Public Works and Government Services Canada. [Accessed 19 Sept. 2011]

_____. N.d.a. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Voluntary Resettlement of Compatriots in the Russian Federation." Document translated from Russian. [Accessed 14 Oct. 2011]

_____. N.d.b. Federal Migration Service. Monitoring of the Realization of the State Program on the Voluntary Resettlement of Compatriots in the Russian Federation. Document translated from Russian. [Accessed 28 Sept. 2011]

_____. N.d.c. Federal Migration Service. Regional Resettlement Programs. Document translated from Russian. [Accessed 31 Oct. 2011]

_____. N.d.d. Federal Migration Service. Adresses of Competent Authorities Abroad. Document translated from Russian. [Accessed 29 Sept. 2011]

United States (US). N.d. Embassy of the United States in Moscow. "Russian Visas." [Accessed 3 Oct. 2011]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Attempts to contact representatives in the Federal Migration Service, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and law firms were unsuccessful.

Internet sites, including: Amnesty International; Argumenty i Fakty; European Country of Origin Information Network; Factiva; Human Rights Watch; International Crisis Group;; Moscow Helsinki Group; The Moscow Times; Rossiyskaya Gazeta; Russia - Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Toronto, Embassy of the Russian Federation in Ottawa, Ministry of Internal Affairs; United Nations Refworld.