АШПИ 
Данные об авторе. Демидова Ирина Викторовна, ст. преподаватель кафедры иностранных языков № 2 Российского экономического университета им. Г.В. Плеханова.
Область научных интересов: Межкультурная коммуникация, проблемы миграции, билингвизм.
Аннотация. Целью написания статьи является выявление особенностей процесса интеграции и социокультурной адаптации мигрантов в принимающей стране, обоснована необходимость выверенной государственной политики в этом вопросе с целью предотвращения снижения уровня толерантности в среде мигрантов и принимающего их общества. Для преодоления демографического спада и обеспечения экономического роста государству и обществу необходимо разработать новые стратегии интеграции, которые могли бы минимизировать возможность социокультурного сепаратизма, национализма и экстремизма.
Abstract. The purpose of the paper is to investigate the categories of migrants, their problems in adaptation, the factors that influence this process, and possible ways of coping with xenophobia and negative economic outcomes of migration and resettlement. General models of the government migration policy and acculturation strategies provide a basis for the analysis of those problems. New state strategies have to be developed considering that Russia is facing the prospect of aging and rapid population decline.
Интеграция мигрантов: проблемы и решения
Migrants’ Integration: Problems and Solutions
Introduction
It is estimated that 250 million people currently live outside their country of origin, many having moved for a variety of reasons in which the search for protection and the search for opportunity are inextricably entwined. [3]. For Russia this is a topical issue because it has involved the country in three aspects: as a host, transit and departure country. Mass influx of migrants into the cultural and political environment cause concern among local residents and contribute to the growth of extremist nationalist views, including on religious grounds. Proper measures need to be taken quickly in cases like these to minimise the damage.
Categories of migrants
There is no universally accepted definition for the word migrant as the term migrant is commonly understood to cover all cases where individuals decide to migrate for reasons of personal convenience and without intervention of an external compelling factor. The word is applied to people moving to another country or region to better their material or social conditions and improve the prospect for themselves or their family. There are several distinct categories of migrants:
– documented migrant ( a person who entered a country lawfully and remains in the country in accordance with his or her admission criteria);
– economic migrant (a person leaving his or her habitual place of residence to settle outside his or her country of origin in order to improve his or her quality of life for the purpose of employment, asylum seeking, etc.
– irregular (undocumented, clandestine) migrant (a person who, owing to unauthorized entry, breach of a condition of entry, or the expiry of his or her visa, lacks legal status in a transit or host country. The term may also cover those migrants who have entered a transit or host country lawfully but have stayed for a longer period than authorised or subsequently taken up unauthorized employment).
– skilled migrant (a migrant worker who is usually granted preferential treatment regarding admission to a host country because of his or her skills or acquired professional experience);
– temporary (contract) migrant worker (a skilled, semi-skilled or untrained workers who remain in the destination country for definite periods as determined in a work contract with an individual worker or a service contract concluded with an enterprise) [5, c. 58].
Push and pull factors for migration
Migration is often analysed in terms of the push-pull model, which looks at the push factors, which drive people to leave their country (such as economic, social, or political problems) and the pull factors attracting them to the country of destination.
Push factors are the reasons why people leave an area (lack of services or safety, war, poverty, crop failure, flooding, drought, high crime, etc.)
Pull factors are the reasons why people move to a particular area (good climate, political and economic stability, higher employment, better services, less crime, lower natural risk from hazards, more fertile land, etc.) [5, c. 59-60].
Economic benefits of migration
The global economy is approaching a demographic shock: the working-age populations of many developed economies are going to decline. As a result, numerous organisations will be unable to find enough employees in their home markets to sustain profitability and growth. For instance, the United States will need to add 26 million workers by 2030 to sustain the average economic growth of the two past decades (1988-2008) unless a technological breakthrough replaces manpower, while Western Europe would need to add 46 million employees. In Germany in 2030, there will be 50 people aged 65 and over for every 100 working age. Today, that ratio is 34 % [1].
In the first quarter of 2015, the natural decline of Russia’s population (the difference between the number of deaths and births) reached 34,584 people, 13 percent more than in the first three months of 2014. There simply are not enough Russians to do the mostly menial jobs that migrants do. Supporters of the mass migration say that migrants are a welcome boost for Russia`s flagging labor force. The Russian Federation faces a labour gap and ageing workforce: statistics says that from1993 to 2010 Russia’s population decreased from 148, 6 to 141, 9 million. An increasing labour force and birth rate act as a counter-balance. If the existing trends do not change, Russia’s population will be from 100 to 107 million by 2050. It is going to be a catastrophic disaster for such a big country, on the territory of which there are 40% of the world’s natural resources. To maintain GDP growth of 4% to 6% a year we need to have workforce of 80-90 million people. Influx of migrants could help the country mitigate the effects of their shrinking, aging population. Russia`s population consists of 24% pensioners and objectively we cannot give up inviting immigrants. [4, c. 78-79].
Considering Russia’s birth and death rates we will have to continue to attract guest workers from the CIS countries — failing to do so would make a sharp contraction in the workforce inevitable. For most of the past decade Russia has actually been one of the largest net importers of labour in the entire world. Through their sheer numbers and, more importantly, through their ability to help offset the damage of the 1990?s “demographic hole,” immigrants have become enormously important to Russia’s economics, politics, and society and integrating them has been an enormous challenge.
Mark Adomanis describes the dynamics of labour migration into Russia (1997-2014). He states that until recently migrant workers were moving to the Russian Federation in growing numbers: in 2013 the level of net migrants was one of the highest since 1990-s. However, in 2014 migration started to taper off – “the net level of migrants is on pace to shrink by 10%”
[1].
From a broad perspective, due to the ruble collapse, fewer people from the CIS-countries are choosing to move here. This trend is going to have an inevitable ripple effect on economic and demographic prospects.
Adaptation of migrants to the host`s country culture
Adaptation is a process of change and adjustment to new environmental conditions. Adaptation of migrants can be defined as the process of fitting in to the society of settlement and functioning successfully in a new environment.
Three distinct aspects of intercultural adaptation have been identified:
1. Sociocultural adaptation, which is based on the culture learning approach and reflects the ability to engage in constructive interaction with a different culture. Sociocultural problems are caused by initial, external events, such as immigration and a different cultural environment.
2. Psychological adjustment, which facilitates the individual’s sense of wellbeing, positive appraisal of situations and general satisfaction with life. Psychological adaptation has been considered an important issue for immigrants’ health, as previous research has consistently demonstrated that immigrants suffer from higher levels of emotional distress and poorer mental health than the host populations. Poor adaptation patterns among immigrants relate to increased levels of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and other psychological problems.
3. Practical, everyday adjustment, which involves the most important tasks immigrants have to face such as experiencing a language barrier, financial hardship, inability to confirm their qualifications and get an adequate job.[2].
All these factors may result in unemployment or engagement in low-skilled and low-paid jobs which put them in the low-income strata of the society. A new environment and language difficulties often cause significant isolation from the society, which manifests itself through a lack of understanding of cultural traditions and social norms, no contact with the host population and, as a result, a very secluded life. Although there is no agreement on how to define and measure adaptation while moving from one culture to another, it has been suggested that most migrants go through initial culture shock, which has significant consequences for their wellbeing. The extent and outcomes of this culture shock and following adaptation may depend on many factors, from cultural distance to migration motivation and expectations [3].
Acculturation is based on the extent to which the culture of origin is being maintained or preferred, and the extent to which the new host culture is adopted. On the basis of the interaction between these two dimensions, 4 different acculturation strategies can be employed:
-Integration. It means preserving the heritage together with acquiring some characteristics of the host culture. The strategy of integration predicts more positive outcomes in psychological and sociocultural adaptation;
— Assimilation. It is the strategy that relinquishes the ethnic heritage and substitutes it with the new, acquired cultural identity;
— Separation involves maintaining the culture of origin and rejection of the culture of settlement.
— Marginalization refers to a rejection of the both the culture of settlement and the culture of origin.
Marginalization and separation are often associated with poor adaptation, which can lead to serious psychological disturbances, including clinical depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders.
Several specific measures aimed at solving the problems migrants face may be proposed:
· Developing a programme for establishing in migrant workers’ native countries integrated migration centres for systematic recruitment of workforce (especially skilled workers) for employment abroad.
· Creating integrated migration centres in order to structure and systematise the influx of migrants on the basis of methodical selection and employment, probably following the suit of campuses in which workers may have assistance during the period of adaptation to the new environment.
· Analysing the targets and outcomes of adaptation,
· Implementing the model of acculturation considering different aspects that play a role in the acculturation process. These aspects may include some personal factors (reasons for migration, language fluency, acculturation strategies, and cultural identity) and situational factors (length of contact, cultural distance, social support).
Coping Strategies for anti-migration appeal
Economists promise the potential economic benefits of migration while many local residents are concerned about their ability to cope with newcomers and the strain they place on public services. Migration is thought to cause a decline in the average level of wages and an increase in product and housing costs, erode national borders and cultural identity and violate the established civilisations balance in the region and the world at large. Economic difficulties enhance the growth of nationalist and xenophobic attitudes among local residents towards immigrants. Migrant workers are often exposed to discrimination, trafficking, labour right abuses, unfair treatment, poverty, lack of access to justice, racial profiling, etc. Both external and internal migration fed into a vast network of corruption (migrants bribed policemen to prevent getting fined or arrested for registration violation; businesses bribed the authorities to prevent getting raided, etc.). If the state wants the labour migrants to come here, it needs to decide what measures that promote labour migration can be taken, how to attract people with the necessary skills and how to guarantee their adaptation. A system for analysing labour market needs must be created to assess which skills are missing from the labour market and how many people with such skills are required.
Several different although linked policy developments are needed in special areas:
· low cost housing with hygienic facilities;
· educational institutions for migrants and their families;
· medical facilities;
· sanitation;
· support to civil society organizations;
· limiting wage competition, forcing the employer to pay retroactively the prevailing collective bargaining or minimum wage for the work performed by the migrant,
· setting serious penalties, including imprisonment for illegal employment;
· increasing adaptation financing. [6].
Conclusion
There will often be substantial cultural differences between migrants’ home countries and their destination country — differences which go well beyond differences in languages. Cultural adaptation and integration is not a one-way-street: the host country population will also have to adapt and be open to new cultures. To minimise friction and conflict and to foster mutual understanding and integration, it is important to educate both migrants and the host country population about their different cultures and values. Adaptation and integration take time and may even be fully achieved only in the second or third generation, it should be seen as a long-term process that needs to be encouraged and supported continuously.
Considering substantial levels of migration, the state has to implement reforms national wisely and in suitable proportions as levers for improving the outlook of its economic development. The goal is to have enough people with the skills and knowledge required for economic development in our state. If Russia wants to be successful in the international competition for attracting people who have the capacity to generate income, it has to guarantee for such people a suitable working and living environment.
References
1. Adomanis M. Immigration into Russia is on Pace to fall by 10% // Forbes. URL: http://www.forbes.com/sites/markadomanis/2015/01/02/immigration-into-russia-is-on-pace-to-fall-by-10/#799b652a393c
2. Annan K. 4 steps to managing migration with compassion // World Economic Forum.15. 06. 2015. URL: http://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/06/4-steps-to-managing-migration-with-compassion
3. Davis N. Global agenda council on migration. 2016 // World Economic Forum. URL: https://www.weforum.org/communities/global-agenda-council-on-migration
4. Демидова И. Migration. Is it a threat or an opportunity? // Материалы международной научно-практической конференции «Общество и этнополитика» в трех частях. Часть 1. Новосибирск, 2015. С.77–82.
5. Демидова И.В. Миграция зло или благо? // Сборник тезисов докладов и статей международной научно-практической конференции российских и зарубежных университетов и РЭУ им. Г.В. Плеханова при участии представителей государственных и муниципальных органов власти «Государственное регулирование миграционных процессов и межнациональная политика как факторы обеспечения стабильности в современном мире: российский и зарубежный опыт». М., 2015. С. 58–62.
6. Семина В.В. International Organization for Migration as a Participant of Migrants’ Integration // Политика, государство и право. 2016. № 2. URL: http://politika.snauka.ru/2016/02/3730