How Did We Become Illegal?: Impacts of Post-Soviet Shifting Migration Politics on Labor Migration Law in Russia

This article is an excerpt of a larger work exploring the political, economic, and historical effectiveness of migration legislation from the CIS states into Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union. Paying particular attention to the case of labor migration from Tajikistan to Russia, this article explores inefficient labor migration laws in Russia, which, though advancing toward a more liberal approach, are marred by bureaucratic obstacles that prevent the proper legalization of labor migrants entering the country. Ultimately, the article finds that a combination of factors—including the transitional nature of Russian migration law, the position of Russia as a country that focuses more on labor than border control, and the unsuccessful policy line that allows domestic public opinion to drive policies rather than demographic concerns—generates a legal system that pushes labor migrants from CIS states into the informal sector, forcing them to work illegally.