Supranational policy of migrant integration in the EU

Integration of migrants is an intrinsic part of the modern life of almost all European states pursuing an active migration policy. This article sets out to identify socioeconomic and demographic conditions for the formation of a national migrant integration policy in the framework of implementing European directives. The study contributes to a better understanding of the mechanisms of efficient integration policy development. The article presents an overview of the major forms of social integration of migrants. The author analyses the existing sociological theories and concepts, as well as the practice of implementing supranational policies of integrating third country nationals in the European Union and its major aspects and mechanisms. On the basis of statistical data and with the help of correlation analysis, the author identifies the key factors affecting a country’s approach to the integration of immigrants. These factors were used in conducting a cluster analysis, which made it possible to identify four groups of countries. The study showed that, despite the large-scale and positive EU policy, due to differences in the socioeconomic and demographic development European states adopt different approaches to the implementation of migration policy in the field of integration. The author stresses that in the countries characterised by a tolerant approach to immigrants, the crime rate is much higher than in the states with a selective or poorly developed policy towards migrant integration

The labour market of Russia's Kaliningrad exclave amid COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has swept across the globe, is a serious challenge to the Russian labour market. This article examines the consequences of COVID-19 for Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave and how its territorially isolated and lockdownaffected small labour market responds to drastic changes in employment, income, and consumption. Another question is how the immigrant-rich labour market will rebalance the supply-demand equation. Official statistics from the regional government and its subordinate bodies show that the Kaliningrad regional labour market has been severely battered by shutdown measures. This particularly applies to organisations operating in the most sensitive industries: manufacturing, hospitality, tourism, estate, transport, and warehousing. The unemployment has gone up, reaching a level above the national average; the number of vacancies is dwindling. Keeping the proportion of out-of-the-region workforce at the usual level may aggravate the situation. Although effective, the measures taken by the regional authorities seem insufficient for an isolated regional labour market

Migration attractiveness of the coastal zone of Russia's North-West: local gradients

A well-acknowledged driver of change, population movement intensifies the development of coastal territories. The Russian North-West holds a vast coastal zone. Granting access to the Baltic, the White, and the Barents Seas, it is an area of geostrategic importance where much of the country’s coastal economy - one of the national priorities - is located. Push and pull factors are enormously diverse in the area, as are migration flows forming attraction poles for migrants. There is little research on the issue despite its social and practical significance. Thus, research is required to examine how the coastal factor can benefit the migration attractiveness and human resources of Russian coastal territories of geostrategic importance. This study aims to delineate coastal territories and investigate local migration flows compared to those recorded in inland regions. The research draws on the concept of coastalisation, employing universal, geographical, and statistical research methods. It uses documentary sources and official 2011ö--2020 statistics. The findings show that the coastal position and maritime economic activity are relevant factors for migration attractiveness. Saint Petersburg and the coastal municipalities of the Leningrad and Kaliningrad regions are more attractive to migrants than more northerly territories. However, there are attraction poles farther north too, and the coastal zone of the Arkhangelsk region attracts more migrants than its inland part. The study demonstrates the growing polarisation of migration space in the coastal areas and especially agglomerations. Changes in the age structure of immigration flows have caused social factors in attractiveness to migrants to replace employment-related factors

Territorial differences in the attitudes to the migration crisis in Germany: The political aspect

The European migration crisis has divided the population of Germany along the lines of the country’s migration policy and the attitude to immigrants. The antiimmigrant sentiment, supported by the rhetoric of the extreme right-wing parties and the criticism of current policies, have been growing in the society. This article reviews theoretical approaches to the study of public attitude to migrants proceeding from the effect that immigration has on the socioeconomic development of the host society. The authors propose a mechanism for analysing the political life of a society to develop viable approaches to managing the migration shock and mitigating its effect. The article considers the attitudes of the German population to immigration and immigrants in terms of the transformation of electoral preferences under the influence of the migration crisis. Recent data on the electoral standing of the Alternative for Germany party are used to develop a typology of states, based on the level of support for this party from the local population and on other measures of the migration situation and socioeconomic development. The authors identify northeastern regions with a high probability of popular support for the extreme right views on the migration crisis and northern and southwestern states that are most and least susceptible to the extreme right influence

Contacts with Diasporas and Diaspora Organisations as a Key to a Successful Migrant Integration Policy in the EU

We analyse European Commission and European Parliament documents - directives, communications, conclusions, recommendations - and best practices for EU member states' international projects focusing on migrant integration in both the EU states and the countries of origin. Special emphasis is placed on the role of diasporas and the efforts taken by the EU to involve them in the integration process. We stress the need for a new supranational EU immigration and integration policy, in view of new migration trends and the so-called migrant crisis. The study shows that the EU integration policy is directed towards both migrants and host countries and the countries of origin. Since the early 2010s, the involvement of various diaspora organisations in the implementation of the EU migrant integration policy has significantly increased. An analysis of completed projects shows that diasporas have a potential of becoming a key actor in the EU integration policy. We suggest expanding the list of the objectives of the national integration policy of the EU countries. This may be achieved by boosting efforts to reduce the gap in the socio-economic development of the host countries and the countries of origin, particularly, by promoting multilateral cooperation with diaspora organisations

Distribution of SARS-CоV-2 seroprevalence among residents of the Tyumen Region during the COVID-19 epidemic period. Journal of microbiology, epidemiology and immunobiology

Introduction. In late 2019 - early 2020, an outbreak of infection caused by a novel strain of beta coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 was reported. The World Health Organization defined the disease as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In the Tyumen Region, the first case of COVID-19 was diagnosed on 31/1/2020. The source of infection was a female student who came from Jinan, Shandong province (China). The number and rate of cases were steadily increasing from the 16th week through 28th week in 2020. The highest rate was 36.87 cases per 100 thousand people. Afterwards, the cumulative incidence kept increasing gradually, but not as quickly.The purpose of the seroepidemiological study was to measure the level and to identify the structure of herd immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus among the population of the Tyumen Region during the rapid spread of the COVID-19 outbreak.Materials and methods. Volunteers for participation in the study were selected through questionnaire surveys and random sampling. The exclusion criterion was an active COVID-19 infection at the time of the survey. A total of 2,758 individuals were tested for SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies. The age of the surveyed volunteers ranged from 1 year to 70 years and older.Results of the study. During the active phase of the COVID-19 incidence, the population of the Tyumen Region showed moderate (24.5%) seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2. At the same time, the tests revealed a high (97.8%) rate of asymptomatic infection cases in seropositive individuals who had never been diagnosed with COVID-19 and did not have history of positive PCR test results or acute respiratory infection symptoms on the day of testing. The maximum level of herd immunity was identified in children aged 1-6 years (34.7%), which was significantly higher compared to the average level of seroprevalence in the entire cohort. In recovered COVID-19 patients, antibodies were detected in 68.2%. In individuals with positive PCR test results, antibodies were detected in 64%. Conclusion. The results of the assessment of the level of herd immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus are crucial for prediction of the development trend of the epidemic and for planning specific and non-specific COVID-19 prevention measures