On September 5, 2018 was held a session of the regular seminar "Migration studies"organized by the Higher School of Economics Institute of Social Policy
Bhavna Dave (Department of Politics and International Studies, SOAS, University of London) presented her recent research "Securitization and Neoliberal Logic in Russia’s Labour Migration Governance"
The tightening of control over migration by the Ministry of Interior (MVD), together with the dissolution of the FMS reflects a shift towards a restrictive, securitization-oriented migration regulation with increased ethnoracial profiling of migrants for documentation checks, fines and deportations. At the same time, the takeover of migrants’ documentation and regulatory functions by the city administration (in Moscow, St Petersburg and several other cities) – executed by the Multifunction Migration Centres - has made it easier for migrants from visa-free states to obtain labour patent, residency and settlement. The above processes reveal the emergence of two different though parallel governmentalities in the migration regulation domain: one driven by the logic of securitization and control, and the other defined by the neoliberal logic of creating a ‘service-oriented’ regulatory framework for migration for enhancing profit. The paper enquires into the nature of and the relationship between these two seemingly divergent modes of governmentality. My aim is to develop a framework for understanding the apparent absence of rationality, logic or strategy in Russia’s migration policy and the endemic corruption in the migration regulation sphere.
The "Migration studies" Seminar (Higher School of Economics) is designed as a platform for presentations of their academic research by scholars engaged in migration studies, as well as for discussion between experts. The seminar is focused on an interdisciplinary approach and brings together specialists from various fields: economists, sociologists, geographers, historians, and anthropologists dealing with relevant issues. The seminar is open for all those interested in migration studies, as well as the academic community.