Russian policy on assistance to the resettlement of compatriots against the background of international experience

Abstract

The article is devoted to the assessment of the conceptual framework and results of the implementation of the State Program of assistance to voluntary resettlement to the Russian Federation of compatriots living abroad in the context of international practice. Programs aimed at returning compatriots are practiced by a number of states wishing to attract ethnically and culturally related migrants or restore historical justice in relation to certain ethno-confessional groups. Typically, they exist along with other immigration programs, providing repatriates with almost unfettered admission to the country. Since 2006, the only program in this field in Russia is the State Program of assistance to voluntary resettlement of compatriots. The originally formulated principles place it in a special position when compared with other repatriation programs. Based on the evaluation of the experience of the Russian program and international experience in the establishment and application of ethnic repatriation programs, it was concluded that in some cases the additional requirements for compatriots are hardly compatible with the main humanitarian task of a repatriation program, which affects its final effectiveness.