Yevgeny MANYATKIN: "We cannot give compatriots more rights than Russian citizens"
- Yevgeny Yuryevich, the authors of the program for the resettlement of compatriots are accused of the fact that you have taken up attracting new citizens from abroad, while in Russia for a dozen years compatriots who arrived without any program have been languishing without citizenship. They live and work here...
- ...They have long adapted, their children go to school, but we are not working with them! Why? Simply because our program's name includes the words '...on providing assistance for the voluntary resettlement of compatriots living abroad.' My civic position in this case coincides with yours, but as an official I cannot overstep the norm. What to do with compatriots living in Russia but lacking legal status? This question is raised at every meeting. We are developing a mechanism that will allow them to participate in the program. We have sent a proposal to the government. A decision can be expected no earlier than 2008.
- But by that time, the period for obtaining Russian citizenship under preferential terms will just expire, and all those who did not manage to do so will have to go through the 'complicated procedure.'
- For participants of our program, the norm will remain in force: accelerated obtaining of a temporary residence permit and citizenship. If compatriots who have long lived in Russia are recognized as participants of the program, the same rules will apply to them.
- The second complaint: the lack of a strategy for providing housing - a roof over one's head becomes the personal concern of each resettler.
- We cannot give compatriots more rights than Russian citizens. We encountered this in the case of forced resettlers and decided not to repeat mistakes. The discontent would be too great: Russians have been standing in line for years to improve their housing conditions, and then some outsider arrives and gets housing. Based on this, we gave compatriots guarantees: we pay for travel to a new place of residence, cargo, and a relocation allowance in regions of categories 'A' and 'B' (border territories and areas of large investment projects). The resettler also receives legal status.
- Haven't the regions grown cold toward the program, for the implementation of which local authorities have to pay?
- No, they do not have to pay; they need to organize and involve businessmen. After all, for business development, qualified specialists with good salaries are needed. Therefore, everyone will be satisfied: resettlers who received a good salary and took out a mortgage, businessmen by acquiring a skilled workforce, and regional authorities.
- But isn't it more profitable for business to use this workforce illegally?
- For this, a fine of up to 800,000 rubles is now imposed, or the enterprise will be closed for up to six months.
- What are the interim results of the program's work?
- The work was started in February 2006 with the creation of an interdepartmental working group under the leadership of presidential aide Viktor Ivanov. It developed both the program itself and a plan for its implementation. We managed to create a regulatory and legal framework. Within the FMS, a department for compatriots' affairs was established. In the constituent entities of the Federation, as we planned, 12 pilot programs will be developed, ten of which have already been approved by the government. The programs of the Tambov and Tver regions are being finalized - this is due to a change in the status of the territories where compatriots are to be settled in these regions. The constituent entities of the Federation participating in the program are divided into categories - 'A', 'B', and 'C', and the amount of the 'relocation allowance' depends on the group. In short, the first organizational stage is completed. The second is next - we are directly proceeding to resettlement.
- When will 50,000 people move to Russia, as was planned for this year?
- They will move this year.
- But so far the result is modest: only a few families.
- This is a trial run, so to speak, a 'one-off item.' The procedures and mechanisms we have created and adopted are not yet fully operational. Some of them are already Russians, and those who have not yet acquired citizenship have submitted applications. Obtaining a temporary residence permit will take three months in their case, or even less.
- Who selects program participants and by what criteria?
- FMS offices abroad, and where they do not exist, Russian consulates. We count on compatriots who grew up in the traditions of Russian culture, speak Russian, and can undergo socio-cultural adaptation in the regions where they will arrive. First, they fill out a questionnaire (profession, education, Russian language proficiency). We think that Russian-speakers from the near abroad will come. These may also be representatives of the titular nationality from CIS countries, provided they have the required specialty and are fluent in Russian. The only restriction we impose is the ability of the society to adapt a certain number of migrants. There should not be a situation where representatives of one nationality settle compactly among us and conflicts arise between locals and resettlers.
Lidia Grafova: "An Immigration Amnesty Is Needed"
- Lidia Ivanovna, do you like the program for the resettlement of compatriots?
- This program is about 12 years late. In essence, it is about repatriation - for the first time since the collapse of the Union, it has been declared at a high political level that our country is calling compatriots who consider Russia their homeland. But this call, alas, came late. Moreover, the main point of the program is that, oddly enough, it protects the rights not of those who move to Russia, but of those remaining in the CIS countries - they become more 'valuable' in the eyes of local authorities.
- But after all, not only Russians want to leave for Russia.
- That's true, although our consulates and FMS offices would very much like to recruit mostly Russians. But not many of them are left there; mostly citizens of the titular nationality are signed up for the program. In short, they take "national cadres" if the profession suits, and Russian grandmothers are not needed by anyone. But for all its flaws, this is a long-awaited program, and I would like to wish it success. Unfortunately, judging by how the process is going, there is a danger that it will become a PR gesture by the state. Only five families from the Baltic countries have managed to move so far! The main flaw of the program is that it calls people to an empty place. The 12 pilot regions that decided to patch the holes in their demographic and labor potential with compatriots did not bother to think about a roof over their heads. I studied all 12 programs - they offer dormitories or rental apartments, but in general it is recommended to solve the housing issue yourself - take a mortgage and buy. That would be good, but: "Where is the money, Zin?"
- Is there anything positive in the program?
- It allows you to quickly obtain citizenship. 300 thousand people are supposed to come and become citizens within three years. But what does the money go to? Only to pay for the container, travel, and in some places they give "moving allowances" for six months. Meanwhile, there are about 40 thousand families in the country with the status of forced migrants who have been on the housing waiting list for 10 years. Last year, only 306 housing certificates were allocated for the resettlement of these status migrants. At this pace, they will have to wait about forty years for a roof over their heads. However, now the status of forced migrant has practically ceased to be issued. About a million compatriots who came to Russia long ago, together with temporary labor migrants, have fallen into the position of illegal aliens. They are not even given temporary residence permits. And as long as this situation persists and this million lives and works in Russia with no legal rights, the program will not inspire confidence.
Several waves of migration have already passed through Russia. First there was forced migration - from hot spots, then labor migration. Experts believe there are about 5 million illegal migrants, among them 3.5 million temporary labor migrants, the rest came for permanent residence. And they are all without rights. However, legislation for labor migrants has been simplified since January 15, but for those who came for permanent residence it is still a dead end. Moreover, this year the simplified procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship expires. And this means that thousands of those who have been waiting for 5-10 or more years will not have time to get it. In the Moscow region, I know a Russian woman who returned from Turkmenistan, and she has been unable to obtain citizenship for 14 years.
- The FMS says that those who came long ago will be able to become participants in the voluntary resettlement program and receive benefits.
- That would be reasonable, because people are already here, with us. But for now they are offered to return to where all bridges are already burned, go to the consulate, submit an application, and wait in the general queue. That is what I keep saying: an immigration amnesty is needed. The Russian authorities need to take this sin off their souls. After all, the existence of these millions without rights and illegalized is a real horror story for those who would like to return to Russia. Today, many who rushed to apply for participation in the resettlement program are beginning to back out, fearing that they might be deceived in their homeland. At first there were queues at the consulates, people signed up from night, but now they are taking back their applications. I think they will not even recruit the 50 thousand planned for this year.
- Are employers really interested in the repatriation of compatriots?
- My 18 years of experience working with migrants shows that those employers who have at least once concluded contracts with resettlers later prefer them specifically - they are hardworking, they have high labor motivation. Regions suffer from a shortage of workers, our Russia is dying out, losing from 700 thousand to a million people a year. And there are fewer and fewer people of working age. Of course, against this background, 50 thousand or even 300 thousand "new residents" will not make a difference. But legalizing a million who have already moved would be noticeable. But no one I ask can explain to me why the presidential administration is slowing down the implementation of immigration amnesty. Such an action - a mass legalization of accumulated illegal migrants - is regularly carried out in a number of Western countries that cannot do without the labor of newcomers. And what should we fear? After all, we are talking about our yesterday's compatriots.
- What does the legalization of a million people mean? After all, it will require considerable costs from the state - benefits, pensions, schools and kindergartens.
- But these people will pay taxes! Now they don't pay anything, employers save on them - both on salaries and on taxes. That is one problem. Another is intolerance: we have a real migrant phobia. And practically no work is being done with the population in this direction. The state is convinced: the period of forced and labor migration is over (which is not true), and now, therefore, volunteers from among compatriots are needed. Volunteers are a good example, but what for? Their appearance will inevitably bring to light "dirty laundry" - the problem of the existence of disenfranchised people who have long wanted to become Russians. First we need to pay off old debts, and only then call new people with a clear conscience.