Health of the migrants as a social problem

Abstract

An analysis of law and enactments, mass-media publications, statistics and healthcare institutions documents, interviews with experts and diasporas leaders was performed to assess the contemporary international and Russian approaches to migrants health and to reveal the features of healthcare services provided for migrants in the Republic of Tatarstan. A social risk connected to migrants health is associated with increase of number of migrant workers with ailments, returning to their communities for treatment and rehabilitation. In societies receiving migrant workers there is an increase of socially dangerous diseases spreading risk due to low immunity, poor nutrition and sanitary life conditions, cultural distress and social isolation. The governmental policy of healthcare and medical services provided for migrants diverges in different countries between a right for free medical care and curtail of such right. «One window» medical examination method provided for migrants in the Republic of Tatarstan shows its effectiveness in decreasing risk and improving the sanitary and epidemiologic situation among this particular community and the whole society. It is concluded that continuous interaction with public, consideration of migrants’ health status and needs, embedding the problem on regional and federal levels should be an important aspects of providing accessible health care for migrants.

Postcolonial migrations in Russia: the racism, informality and discrimination nexus

“…The ambiguities, and corruption, in the labor system, means that they endure low paid work, often short-term and without any form of contract (see also Heusala and Aitamurto, 2016; Urinboyev and Polese, 2016), and even become victims of human trafficking (Buckley, 2018). Before the patent reform, survey of migrants conducted in Tatarstan, showed that around 55 percent work fully informally, with a similar figure obtained from interviewees in Moscow (Kuznetsova and Muchyaramova, 2014). As result of this informality in Tatarstan, 10 percent regularly received lower wages than agreed and over a quarter this had happened to them on numerous occasions.…”

Contextualizing Migrants' Strategies of Seeking Medical Care in Russia*

“…This issue is particularly relevant as extensive foreign labour migration is a relatively recent phenomenon in Russia. As a result, necessary legal provisions and social programmes aimed at both documented and undocumented migrants are often lacking (Kuznetsova and Mukharyamova, : 370). This situation is exacerbated by widespread discriminatory practices towards migrants by the host society and by public institutions.…”