The figure of 30 thousand most likely disappointed the organizers of the compatriots' return program. After all, at its launch, the FMS expected that from 2007 to 2009 about 300 thousand people would come to Russia. And with the current pace, the program will have to be extended until 2017.
Andrei Kokoshin, Chairman of the Duma Committee on CIS Affairs and Relations with Compatriots, who presided over the roundtable, cited the reason why people are in no hurry to return to their historical homeland: the lack of both temporary and permanent housing. “We cannot provide any guarantees to compatriots for providing them with apartments or houses. This depends on the host regions,” Natalia Molchanova admitted in response to a question from Gazeta.
Currently, the federal government guarantees compatriots only accelerated citizenship processing within six months, compensation for travel to Russia, and payment of relocation allowances. The amount of the resettlement benefit for each program participant varies depending on the region's need for migrants. In border regions, where the population has long been declining, a participant will receive 60 thousand rubles, and another 20 thousand for each family member. In economically more developed regions, where large investment projects are being implemented, a returnee is promised very small amounts - 20 thousand rubles for the head of the family and 15 thousand for his relatives. No more benefits or assistance are available, and there will be none.
Alexander Abramtsev, Deputy Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Payments of the Kaluga Region government, directly stated: “We are not going to provide any preferences to those arriving in the region. Compatriots will have the same opportunities as everyone else. Their children, even before obtaining citizenship, will be able to go to kindergarten or school in the general queue, receive a social package, but we will not build any new houses for migrants.” He also noted that arrivals cannot even count on temporary housing from the administration, and all care for a roof over their heads must be taken on by the employer. True, according to Abramtsev, such cases are rare. “We only count on the fact that migrants will come to the Kaluga region with money from the sale of their real estate, with which they will buy housing here. In my opinion, this program is designed primarily for those who want to reunite with their relatives,” the deputy minister noted.
However, he did not explain how a family, for example, from Central Asia, from where the most applications are coming today, could buy a house or apartment if a two-room apartment in their homeland costs two and a half times less than in Russia. Natalia Molchanova suggested that compatriots could acquire housing through mortgage programs. But long-term loans are the prerogative of banks, which have their own views on the solvency of newly arrived people without any credit history.