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Alexander Brod, Head of Moscow Human Rights Bureau
The unsettled character of migration policy,
the imperfection of migration laws and corruption have led to a great number of illegal migrants,
their criminalization and inter-ethnic conflicts and tension.
Special attention is paid to the migration processes.
At the same time, a difficult demographic situation in Russia
and economic tasks demand the attraction of a labour force.
According to statistics, in the last 20 years migration growth in Russia
compensated for half of the natural decline of the population.
Without inflow from countries of the former USSR,
the population of our country would be 7 million less in 2011.
A question on optimization of migration policy inevitably arises.
In this concept, and I think it is very important for the development of our legal base,
defining our migration strategy, in this concept targets, aims, principles,
and mechanisms of the state migration policy are written.
The concept is a system of views on the content, principles and main directions in the sphere of migration.
The main targets of the state migration policy, according to the concept, are:
establishing of conditions and motivations for moving to the Russian Federation of compatriots living abroad,
migrants and some categories of citizens;
development and differentiation of the mechanism of attraction,
selection and use of the foreign labour force; support of development of internal migration;
support of educational migration; support of academic mobility;
fulfilment of humanitarian duties toward forced migrants;
support of adaptation and integration of migrants;
establishing of effective cooperation between migrants and a welcoming society;
prevention of illegal migration.
What do we suggest for recording the capacities, activeness and potential of non-governmental organizations?
First of all, the main forms of NGO activity aimed at improving the effectiveness of cooperation
between governmental bodies and civil society institutes in the sphere of migration are:
establishing an available system of information and consultative support;
participation in organizing discussion platforms; organizing and holding workshops, round-table discussions,
training and business games; expert appraisal of bills, results of law-enforcement practice;
participation in the summary, analysis and public spread of the positive experience
of the conceptual implementation;
participation in monitoring of the situation;
law enforcement of social practices;
participation in public control.
By the way, we have developed the law on public control together with the Human Rights Council
under the President, and its text is at the moment
at the Head Legal Department of the Presidential Administration.
We hope that in autumn the law will be considered by the State Duma.
We believe that organizations which deal with migrants do exist.
There is positive experience in Moscow and the regions.
However, there is a lack of such organizations.
And we, professionals in this sphere, should achieve growth of an amount,
improvement of professionalism of these organizations’ employees.
At the same time, our initiative group decided to establish the coordination council
of migrant communities and organizations which would unite interested people
and organizations in regions, and we are thinking about establishing a civil forum
for encouragement of Russian migration policy.
These will be associations of interested people who would cooperate with governmental bodies
for discussion of the concept implementation, detecting problems and their settlement.
Of course, every day we hear about incidents on discrimination of migrants
or fights shifting to inter-ethnic conflicts with the participation of migrants and local populations.
According to opinion polls, the growth of dissatisfaction with the arrival of migrants,
intolerance, aggression and hatred toward migrants are registered.
We participated with colleagues in a talk-show and were struck by the angry audience,
which was ready to kick out migrants from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan from the studio.
Even though they came to live honest laboring lives and give birth to children.
Intolerance is huge.
Professional law-enforcement practice is very important, as well as equality before the law,
independent implementation of laws toward migrants and citizens of Russia.
Educational means at all levels are important too.
Unfortunately, the concept of migration policy is unknown to the majority of population.
We should work on spreading this document, initiating discussion of it, round tables, expert appraisals,
considering local, regional situations.
And of course, the significance of professional law-enforcement.
That is why the working group on the General Prosecution has been working
on the work “Inter-ethnic Relations without Conflicts” for two years.
It contains not only expert materials, but also documents from the legal base of Russia,
conventions of the UN, the Council of Europe, the OSCE,
including those which deal with cooperation between migrants and
discrimination against migrants and ethnic minorities.
Several presentations of the work have been conducted.
The preface was written by the deputy General Prosecutor.
This special status of the book gives us hope that it will be studied,
considered and be helpful to our prosecutors, representatives of the authorities and bureaucrats.