Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has strained its migration policies, amplifying longstanding demographic decline and labour shortages. The country faces acute needs for human capital, short- and long-term, with birth rates at historic lows and emigration compounding the crisis.

This policy brief highlights main directions in Russia’s migration policy since the 2022 invasion and underscores the implications of these developments for the Prague Process region. It calls for strategic action to strengthen cooperation with Central Asian states to create alternative labour migration pathways and reduce reliance on Russia, counter the use of migrants as a hybrid tool to challenge European members and work to return displaced Ukrainians, particularly children, home from Russia.

Russia’s neighbours now must consider their own place in a renewed migratory landscape.

Here are a few policy recommendations:

• As Russia is turning to countries near and far to bolster manpower due to low domestic recruitment numbers, Western states should identify and address other potential countries that might be incentivised to send soldiers to Ukraine.
• Governments of European countries bordering Russia and Belarus should work proactively
  with human rights organisations and academics to design humane, legal and effective policies and practices should Russia attempt to send another wave of migrants to disrupt border areas.
• European governments should continue to work with Central Asian states to direct and regularise migration flows through labour partnerships and agreements.

For more information and policy recommendations, check the full publication:

-> here in English and

-> here in Russian.

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