Ethnodemographic structure of immigration to Russia: possibilities of statistical analysis

Migration processes, unlike natural population movement, are more diverse, can be caused by different reasons and have different directions and deadlines. In this regard, the boundaries between the types of migration (and migrants) are often unclear, which complicates not only their classification, but also the choice of suitable sources for obtaining information about them. Ethnodemographic changes are taking place in modern Russia; this makes it necessary to monitor them more closely and expand approaches to their accounting. The purpose of the study is to develop proposals for the registration of immigrants based on the analysis of approaches developed in Russian and foreign practice aimed at studying and assessing the ethnodemographic characteristics of migrants. As a result of the study, we show that the most complete information about immigrants in Russia is provided by population census data, but the dynamic nature of migration flows requires additional measures related to their accounting. Current migration accounting is carried out using various forms, but the information most often remains at the level of authorized organizations and is not publicly available for analysis in the context of Russia’s regions and in the context of the countries whose citizens have arrived in Russia. Sample surveys allow us to study in more detail certain aspects of migration processes or certain categories of migrants, but their results may not always be comparable in time. We suggest the possibility of including additional data on the place of birth of the respondent’s father and mother in the population census sheets. For Russia, as well as for other countries, citizenship is an unstable feature, since migrants can become citizens of the country of residence. Requesting data on the place of birth of the respondent’s father and mother does not contradict constitutional law and helps to obtain a more clear idea concerning the ethnic and cultural roots of the individual.