Mixed Migration Streams and Different Realities—How Do Migrants Perceive Security of Hosting Communities?

Abstract

The purpose of the paper is to consider problems of self-perception of security and safety by transit migrants in Russian border regions. In the research (2018–2019) participated representatives of migrant’s community in seven Russian regions: the Altai region (n = 319), the Orenburg oblast (n = 100), the Murmansk oblast (n = 100), the Pskov oblast (n = 100), the Republic of Altai (n = 20), the Republic of Dagestan (n = 100), and the Rostov oblast (n = 94), 843 respondents, total. Concluded, that socially economic conditions of life in hosting community in border society will be the determining factor of general satisfaction of stay in Russia. That is why migrants constantly move, while having been foreigners in new homelands. If the migration had an evident advantage, increased migrant’s and his/her family life level, migrant will come for a work again and again, he/she will move across Russia and abroad to search for best job, domestic and housing conditions. In such case, social-psychological difficulties related to movement, breaking of family, relative and friendship networks down, and unfavorable relation with aboriginals relegate to the background, and transit migrant became ready to accept unsafety, social inequality and injustice, and to risk by personal security. It should be noted, that the residence at the territories of ethnic republics of Russia as objectively as subjectively less satisfying for migrants but the residence in socially and economically favorable regions objectively forms higher level of satisfaction about life in whole and its separate aspects.