Doing Business in Russia. Котова К.П - 16 стр.

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850,000 persons. This Active outflow began long before the outbreak of ethnic
conflicts and it is not the latter that triggered it. The main reason for the popula-
tion’s outflow from Central Asia is the excess of manpower resources, the
shortage of jobs, and unemployment. Most “Europeans” will of necessity leave
Central Asia. But certainly not all at once. The most mobile part of the popula-
tion has already left. Many are simply unable to leave for a variety of reasons.
But many are reluctant to leave and will do so only if there is a danger to their
lives. The total net influx of population into Russia of the past few decades will
evidently come to two to three million people, – most likely, to two million. It
will not greatly differ from the influx which was recorded during the decade be-
tween the two census (1979–1988) – 1.8 million.
      Regrettably, a considerable portion of the migrants into Russia in recent
years has been made up of refugees. Their lot would have been largely facili-
tated had there been state-to-state treaties on population migration, clearly de-
fining the rights and duties of corresponding states in relation to both the mi-
grants themselves and to each other: provision of the means of conveyance, or-
ganization of the evacuation of movable property, compensation for real prop-
erty, pension security, etc. The Russian and other Russian-speaking populations
of the ex-Soviet republics justifiably bear a grudge against Russia for the latter
having abandoned and failed to defend them. But there is the paradox: in many
of the newly-independent states, American embassies appeared much earlier
than Russian ones. And nothing has even been heard about Russian consular
services in these places. Life isn’t sweet for refugees even in Russia itself. Rus-
sia has still failed to pass a Statute on Forced Migrations and Refugees which
would define their status, rights and duties. This means that they are actually
deprived of all rights and powerless vis-à-vis local officials, who are not always
prepared to help them in real earnest. Migrants also suffer from the fact that in
Russia there is no freedom to move around its territory nor to choose a place of
residence – fundamental and indisputable freedom which have long been en-