Social risks of including international labour migrants in the host community

International migration is a complex socio-economic process that affects all areas of the society. Russia belongs to the group of world leaders in the number of international immigrants. Most of the labor migrants arrive in Russia from the CIS countries; and in varying degrees, each of them has to face problems of inclusion in the host society. In this article, the process of integration of international immigrants is discussed primarily from the perspective of obtaining and changing their legal status. The analysis of regulatory legal acts, as well as the results of expert interviews conducted with managers and specialists of non-governmental organizations working with migrants, revealed the main barriers for the inclusion of migrants in the host community, as well as the necessary conditions for the successful integration of migrant workers. According to experts, many international migrants are forced to be outside the legal field; one of the reasons is the underdeveloped infrastructure of social institutions that provide services for migrants at all stages of their integration, starting with obtaining the documents necessary for staying in Russia. Moreover, even legal migrants regularly face violations of their labor rights (the absence of an employment contract, pay discrimination, exploitation), which also make difficulties to their inclusion in the host society. The Russian migration policy is focused on the integration and adaptation of international migrants, but this process can be effective only when based on interaction of state structures, local governments, employers, representatives of diasporas, and non-profit organizations.