Forced migrant “compatriots” from Ukraine: Accessing legal residency and citizenship in the Russian Federation

Abstract

This paper examines the Russian migration and citizenship regime as encountered by forced migrants from Ukraine who fled to Russia during the period of 2014–2016. Based on legal and other official documents, media articles, and interviews, it gives an account of these migrants' reception in Russia in theory and practice. Russia made great efforts to accommodate them, and in Russian media they were often spoken of as an easily integrated labor resource and as potential citizens. In 2015–2016, around 165,000 Ukrainians acquired Russian citizenship. While ethno-cultural similarity does privilege Ukrainian migrants in Russia, full asylum has been granted sparingly, and citizenship is not unconditionally granted. As this paper shows, Russian authorities have rather tried to control and distribute these forced migrants for the benefit of the state, according to principles of selectivity and economic interests — giving privileged access to permanent residency and citizenship to working-age people willing to settle in regions where population growth and more workers are deemed necessary. However, permanent residency and citizenship are also available to those able to circumvent or pay their way through the obstacles encountered — taking advantage of the flexibility inherent in a system that is not totally consistent.

“As if I Were an Illegal”

“…Migration scholars have demonstrated how officials have denied Ukrainian citizens refugee status in Russia and instead recognized them as Russian citizens, using citizenship as part of a larger political strategy to maintain influence in the region (Kuznetsova 2020; Myhre 2018; see also Dunn and Bobick 2014). The shifting geopolitical mood influences everyday interactions in terms of who is and is not recognized as a Russian compatriot.…”

Boundaries and Belonging Among Settled Minorities and Refugees in Bulgaria

“…In the context of migration, scholarship has shown how specific groups are awarded different degrees of belonging, and that boundaries can shift depending on perceptions of linguistic, cultural, and religious proximity (Elchinova 2005; Castles 2002; Rottmann and Kaya 2021). Russian authorities portrayed the Ukrainian forced migrants who arrived between 2014 and 2016 as compatriots, which partly facilitated their settlement process (Myhre 2018). In Turkey, cultural affinity related to perceived religious similarities and shared Ottoman heritage have been shown to enhance the belonging of Syrian refugees (Kaya 2017).…”