Over the years that have passed since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the post-Soviet states have undergone a colossal restructuring of economic, political, social, and religious relations. The opening of the economies of these countries has led to a rise in the standard of living of the population and the saturation of the consumer market.
In recent years, a trend toward returning to the country of origin has become noticeable in the Russian-speaking community in Germany. It cannot be called a mighty stream, but it is still a persistent phenomenon. In the foreseeable future, an increase in re-emigration can be predicted. People return to their country of origin for various reasons: they failed to integrate into local relations, did not get used to life in a rented apartment in a big city, did not find a job; homesickness, divorce, business, work. The freedoms gained in recent years allow such movement and living in two countries even for people with low incomes, which can only be welcomed. Re-emigrant aid funds implement programs for social return and technical assistance to developing and transformation countries.
Social re-emigration
Low-income individuals find it difficult to independently organize the expensive procedure of leaving the country. Potential re-emigrants can turn to various German and European foundations that provide targeted financial assistance for organizing the return process. A condition for granting such assistance is the applicant's foreign citizenship. Persons with dual citizenship also have the right to participate in the program; holders of only German citizenship are not accepted into the program, since in that case it is not a question of returning to the homeland.
By 'social' return is meant one-time material assistance to low-income foreigners living in Germany who wish to return to their country of origin or a third country. This program is based on humanitarian principles; refugees, rejected asylum seekers who intend to return for a long period to their country of origin or any other third country ready to accept them, victims of human trafficking and pimping, victims of violence, and other foreigners can participate.
Asylum seekers can participate in the program at any phase of the process, up to the start of the expulsion procedure from Germany. The foundations also provide assistance to 'ordinary' foreigners who have not applied for asylum in Germany. A prerequisite for assistance is the lack of one's own funds for organizing the return and other sources of help. Return assistance is provided to citizens of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine in the following amounts:
– payment of the ticket for train, plane, or bus at face value;
– gasoline up to €205 per car;
– travel expenses ?100 per adult, €50 per child under 12;
– start-up assistance at home €250 per adult, €125 per child under 12, total no more than €750 per family. For citizens of Armenia and Azerbaijan, start-up assistance is ?200 per adult and €100 per child under 12, no more than €600 per family.
Citizens of other CIS countries can also apply to participate in the program; citizens of the Baltic states are excluded from the participants. Funds are provided depending on the financial situation of the foundation and the number of applicants. Applicants cannot claim material assistance. It may turn out that, despite meeting all the necessary prerequisites, the foundation does not have the funds to provide financial support. The foundations also organize the departure to the homeland for self-paying persons. Thanks to its non-commercial nature and extensive experience in organizing returns, the migration foundation can offer foreigners favorable prices for tickets and other return services. At least, that is what is written in the foundation's instruction memo.
Labor migration
The German government actively supports labor migration to developing and transformation countries of leading and qualified national personnel (Fach- und F?hrungskrafte) who have received professional qualifications in Germany. Persons with dual citizenship, for example, Russian/German citizenship, are also considered national personnel. The labor migration promotion program is not social; it serves the interests of Germany and is intended to provide structural and technical assistance to post-Soviet countries in developing their economies and promoting environmentally clean and resource-saving technologies. Assistance is not guaranteed even if all prerequisites are met, and it depends on the availability of funds allocated to it from the state budget.
Among the leading and qualified personnel who can transfer know-how acquired in Germany to their countries of origin are foreign graduates of German higher education institutions, skilled workers, and masters. Also considered as such are persons who have worked in Germany in skilled jobs and have completed retraining or advanced training courses in Germany. According to the program's authors, these specialists should occupy a prominent place in the economic structures of their home country and create there a positive image of Germany, its system of technical training and education. The decision who can be considered a 'prominent' specialist and multiplier of German technology is made by a competent organization upon the personal application of the applicant for assistance.
Example: Konstantin Bauer graduated from the Forestry Academy in Novosibirsk, after which he worked for 10 years as the head of a forest district. In 1997, he moved to Germany under the status of a late resettler, while retaining his Russian citizenship. In Germany, K. Bauer completed courses as a cabinetmaker and interior finishing specialist, periodically took on various jobs, sometimes in his field and sometimes not, was unemployed for several years, and in the end never managed to find his place in his new homeland. In 2005, he accepted an offer from his old institute friend to head a sawmill in the Novosibirsk region and returned to Russia with his family for an extended period. K. Bauer meets the necessary criteria for participation in the program and can apply for financial assistance to organize his return.
This assistance for technically significant specialists covers several areas. The total amount of subsidies may exceed €20 thousand.
- Assistance for the purchase of work tools and workplace equipment up to €10,000.
- Travel expenses €300–500 for each adult family member and €200–300 for each child under 12 years old.
- Expenses for transporting the family's luggage up to €2,750.
- Salary subsidies, contributions to pension and health insurance funds, as well as payment of an initial salary during the initial work adaptation phase for a period of 6 to 24 months in the amount of up to €500 per month.
- Participation in professional seminars in Germany, free receipt of professional literature from Germany worth up to €100 per year.
The list specifies the maximum amounts of assistance. In each specific case, the actual amount of the subsidy may vary considerably. It depends on the classification of the target country of re-emigration as a partner country, main country, or transformation country, and other factors.
It is important to know that you can first travel to the target country of re-emigration, then search for a job on site within a year, which will then be subsidized by the fund. Before departure, you must submit an application to participate in the program.
Of course, assistance is not limited to monetary subsidies; it includes consultations, establishing contacts with various state, private, and public institutions, monitoring and control of the use of allocated funds. This material was not able to fully reflect all the criteria necessary for participation in the program.