Copying Strategies of Labour Migrants from CIS Counties

Labor migration of the workforce of the CIS countries to Russia is widespread. Migrants who are forced to come to Russia to earn money for themself and their families are faced with many unforeseen situations that they have to cope with. This work is devoted to the study of the strategies used by labor migrants in difficult life situations. To do this, we used a strategy of mixing methods - a semi-structured interview and an online survey. This method gives an opportunity to enrich our data and interpretations. The theoretical framework of the study is based on the theory of the “marginal man” of R. Park and the “stranger” G. Simmel. In addition, the work presents the results of sociological studies on labor migration in Russia. The empirical base consists of 10 in-depth interviews and an online survey of 195 foreign citizens from the CIS countries in Moscow. The study revealed the main situations of life difficulties characterized by labor migrants, which are the most relevant in Russia. In addition, there are relationships between coping strategies and the conditions, circumstances during which these strategies were used by migrants. The results of the study made it possible to verify the relevance of previously identified strategies for coping with life difficulties using the example of labor migrants in Russia.