Impact of EAEU Migration Governance Mechanisms on Russia’s Migrant Integration Policies and Practices: the Case of St. Petersburg

This thesis focuses on influence of regional mechanisms of migration governance in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) on policies and practices of migrant integration in Russia. This study relies on a complex theoretical framework that emphasizes the need to see migrant integration as interaction of migrants with core social systems functioning at the local level within the framework of multi-level governance. This thesis provides a nuanced picture of the interaction between regional, national and local levels of migrant integration governance using the case of St Petersburg. This research builds on an analysis of both secondary and primary sources, in particular various legal and policy documents, information from the websites of relevant stakeholders and interviews conducted by the author with some of these stakeholders. First, this thesis argues that the EAEU migration governance mechanisms have produced an impact on migration policies and practices at the national and local levels in Russia. Russian migration policy takes into account changes that have been made at the EAEU level and transfers them to the local level. Second, this study highlights some positive aspects of the impact of the EAEU on migration policy in Russia and subsequent practices emerging at the city level in St Petersburg. Third, the thesis identifies current problems faced by workers from other EAEU Member States in Russia. It shows that there exist two significant negative trends. The first is a contradiction that exists between state’s migration policies, including migrant integration in social systems, and practices that occur at the local level of the St. Petersburg. The second relates to the low degree of awareness of labour migrants from the EAEU of their own rights and the shortage of information available for them that should normally be provided by various governmental bodies.