Transnational practices of migrants from post-Soviet states in Russia

Abstract

For the first time, using quantitative survey data, the author analyze prevalence of the main transnational practices of migrants from the post-Soviet states in the Moscow region. The empirical basis of the study consists  of the sociological surveys of migrants conducted in 2017 and 2020 by the Center for Ethnopolitical and Regional Studies for the Higher School of Economics and the team of the Center for the Study of Interethnic Relations of the IS FCTAS RAS . The author concludes that close relationships exist between migrants and their countries of origin, as well as the widespread prevalence of transnational practices. The basis of ties consists of frequent trips to the country of origin, the presence of a large number of relatives in the country of origin, regular communication with them, as well as regular cash transfers from migrants to their homeland, which form the basis of the household economy in these countries. The relationship of some transnational practices (including remittances) with the long-term migration strategies of the respondents suggests that the reorientation of migration from short-term to long-term will also reduce the scale of transnationalism.