Return migration to Russia: trends of the past and realities of the present

The article is devoted to the study of transformations of the return migration of compatriots to Russia within the framework of resettlement programs at the federal and regional levels. The work is focused on the results and effectiveness of the mechanisms regulating the processes of return of compatriots to the Russian state. On the basis of official documents, statistical data and results of sociological studies there are identified the long-term trends in the resettlement of compatriots to Russia and their behavioral characteristics. Spatial features of the resettlement processes are considered. The analysis of difficulties in the incorporation of immigrants into the economic and social structures of Russian society is carried out. There are characterized the problems of creating the necessary conditions facilitating the processes of integration of compatriots into the Russian society. There are identified and disclosed the contradictions between the general strategic objectives of the policy regarding the return of compatriots and the measures implemented in practice to receive migrants according to the specified socio-economic criteria. It is shown that the implementation of resettlement programs at the regional level occurs solely based on the needs of economic development of territories, which significantly narrows the circle of potential migrants. It is proved that in reality the programs for resettlement of compatriots are used by Russian regions in their own interests as programs for organized recruitment of labor to stabilize the functioning of regional labor markets. Particular attention is paid to development of the tasks for finding the ways to activate the return migration of compatriots in the context of practical solutions to the problems of demographic development of both the country as a whole and most of its strategically important regions. As a result of the study, proposals and recommendations on the regulation of resettlement processes have been formulated that can serve as a basis for improving Russia's state policy regarding the resettlement of compatriots.