Russia faces migration challenge

(MENAFN)
Russia is currently facing a migration challenge unlike any it has encountered before. The growing influx of labor and permanent migrants from Central Asia is raising questions that cannot be answered by traditional assimilation methods. As a result, Moscow must take proactive and decisive measures to avoid the pitfalls experienced by Western Europe and the United States.

Although discussions on migration policy spark heated debates domestically and sometimes strain relations with Central Asian countries, it is far better to address these issues head-on than to let them grow unchecked. If left unresolved, large-scale migration could pose a direct threat to Russia’s political stability and institutional unity. Therefore, the response must align with Moscow's traditional approach: adaptable, pragmatic, and free from rigid ideological constraints.

There are numerous cautionary examples to learn from. Western Europe’s migration troubles are largely due to two key factors: the collapse of colonial empires and post-war economic growth, which created a demand for low-skilled labor. Former colonial powers like France and Britain maintained strong ties with their former colonies and welcomed large waves of migrants. However, they later realized that integrating these migrants was far more difficult than they had initially expected.

European countries, built on the concept of ethnically homogeneous “nation-states,” traditionally had little tolerance for cultural and religious diversity. Historically, outsiders were either assimilated or excluded. When migrants from former colonies began settling in large numbers in France, Germany, and the UK, the response was often unclear. France granted citizenship to all migrants but failed to integrate them. In Britain and Germany, multiculturalism was promoted but inadvertently led to segregation.

The United States, by contrast, took a different approach. Its flexible economy and limited social safety net allowed migration to be viewed primarily through an economic lens, with migrants seen as a source of labor. However, as inequality, political polarization, and other challenges grew, migration became a political issue. Republican leaders pushed for mass deportations and border control, while Democrats viewed migrants as potential voters, resulting in a divided electorate and a politically unstable environment.

For Russia, these examples highlight the potential consequences of not addressing migration effectively. The country must carefully navigate the growing influx of migrants to avoid the missteps of its Western counterparts.

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