THE MAIN TRENDS OF THE MIGRATIONAL PROCESSES IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA Valeriu MOSNEAGA Moldova State University
Republic of Moldova Area: 33,845 km 2 Population: 4.2 millions inhabitants Capital: Сhisinau / Kishinev (750,000 inhabitants)
EMIGRATION
EMI...-2 TRENDS: the total number of emigrants (stationary emigration) 210 thousand people p The change of emigrational reasons: political and ethnical (first part of the 1990 s) reasons were replaced by economical (second part of 1990 s) The shortening amount of emigration (up to 6-7 thousand people a year)
EMI -3 Recipient / destination countries (97%): Russia 28,76%; Ukraine 23,96%; Israel 23,2%; The USA 11,61%; Germany 8,99%. First period (1990-1996) Israel s domination. Second period (since 1998) Russia, Ukraine. Influence by ethnical factors (the first period of the 1990 s)/ Today, all ethnical groups participate i t in emigration (Moldovans 40%; Jewish exodus)
REPATRIATION
REPА -2 TRENDS: the total number of repatriated people is 65 thousand. They come from Russia (more than 50%) and Ukraine (more than 1/3). These two countries produce approximately 90% from the total number of repatriates. Since 2009, there are the repatriation people from the USA, Germany and Israel.
REPА -3 The change of repatriation reasons: economical reasons (second part of 1990 s) replace the romantic and ethnical (the forming of national states t (first part of the 1990 s) The shortening of the number of Moldovans (from 2/3 to 40%) The shortening of the amount of repatriation approximately 2 thousand people each year. A country is economically unfitting for the repartees, it offers no actual support to them.
FORCED MIGRATION An armed conflict in the country s Eastern region (1992). More than 800 people have died, monetary damage more than 400 million dollars. More than 100 thousand refugees: Belarus (859), Russia (17.346), Ukraine (61.000, more than 30 thousand children); «the old abroad» countries - approximately 20 thousand). After the conflict ended, practicaly all refugees in Ukraine have returned home.
FORC...-2 There are 51.289 people (28.746 of them children) in the right banked part of Moldova, that are internally displaced. There are no internally displaced people nowadays. They have all returned to their homes. Today approximately 200 people are the internal displaced persons. The main problem is housing.
FORС...-3
FORС...-4 Participation in the international refugee support program since 2002. The total number of refugees accepted is 850 people, 700 people looking for humanitarian support. Most of them have departed for third countries. Approximately 240 people participate in humanitarian program in the each year. Most of the refugees and home-seeking people are from Russia and Chechenya.
IMMIGRATION
EMIGRATION vs IMMIGRATION
IMMI...-2 TRENDS: approximately 31 thousand people have legally ll entered in the country. The number of immigrants increases - 16.880 foreigners (July, 2011). With a permanent residential status 12.617, with a temporary residential status 4.263. There are 4.172 foreigners registered in Transdnistria. 1481 of them are stateless. There are 1.085 stateless people in Transdnistria.
IMMI...-3 Most of the immigrants come from Ukraine, Russia, Romania, and Arabian countries. The trend is to reduce CIS immigrants: ¾ (1992) 40% (1995) 30% (1998-2010) 2010). The main reasons of immigration were family reunions (1992-1995) 1995) and studying (1996-2004), now, work (from 2005). 2/3 of migrants are men (male).
IMMI...-4 Illegal migration is mostly presented by the CIS citizens, by Russians, Ukrainians, i Azers, and other countries that use a visa-free regime. A new phenomenon illegal transit migration (from the South-Eastern Asia, Africa (through Transdnistria). Moldova is an unofficial route of illegal transit migration to Western Europe, EU. The Moldovan route is less popular p than Ukraine s, Russia s or Belorussia s, in this case.
LABOUR MIGRATION TRENDS: In the Republic of Moldova there are 600.000 labor migrants (Census 2004). Today 700.000 persons. AGE: Over 70% of all migrants are less than 40 years old; 40% of all the migrants younger than 30; An average age of the labor migrant is 35-36 years; Most migrants have 30~50 years old; In comparison to EU, Russia has more migrants which have less than 30 and more than 50;
COUNTRIES DESTINATION:
THE NUMBER OF MOLDOVAN MIGRANS IN EU COUNTRIES
LAB - TRENDS Republic of Moldova, it s population is including in two regional migration systems: CIS (Russia, Moscow and Moscow region) and EU ( dream country Italy). CIS 60% of Moldovan migrants, EU 35-37%, 240.000 of legal permits, Italy 140.000 (2009) Russia: 7,7 months stay, season migration; EU: 14-1616 months stay, labor emigration. The growth of legal / shortening of illegal migrations
LAB - TRENDS (2) The trend of immigrating to Russia was more popular earlier. Today, aside from the traditional Eastern labor migration, there are also Western and South-Eastern vectors of labor migration. Italy, Portugal, Spain, Greece are among the more attractive countries. They are characterized by a higher sector of informal economy.
LAB - TRENDS (3) It was favored by: Moldova s equal distance from both the Mediterranean countries and Moscow, The proximity of the Roman language group for Moldovans, Turkish language group for the Gagauzians, Slavic for the Russian speaking people of Moldova, a network of Moldavian- Jewish diasporas in Germany, Israel... The payment is better in the West then in Russia. The criminality and lawlessness of police agents, bureaucrats and entrepreneurs within the EU countries is a lot lower.
LAB - TRENDS (4) Russia s role has lately started to increase. This is based on the liberalization of Russia s legislation regarding migrants and salaries. Lately the EU s legislation has became more sever. It is justified by factors such as illegal migration and the economical crisis.
LAB - TRENDS (5) The EU has increased it s control over the borders. This resulted in a reduction of illegal migration. People have started seeking safer ways of migration. Touristic visas, family reunions, individual labor contracts, receiving Romanian, Bulgarian, etc. citizenship
MOLDOVAN ILLEGAL MIGRANTS 60000 50000 40000 30000 20000 10000 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 border violators Persons rejected at the border Refused residence Removed persons
MOLDOVAN ILLEGAL MIGRANTS (80%) 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% Ukraine Romania 10% 0% 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
MOLDOVAN ILLEGAL MIGRANTS (border violators & illegal residence) 8000 7000 6000 5000 2008 2009 2010 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 Moldovan citizens ordered to leave Moldovan citizens returned to any country Moldovan citizens returned to a third country
LAB - TRENDS (6) gender - ¼ are female Employment abroad: Men: construction (51%), transport, industry, agriculture. Women: service and trade; care of aged (sick) people e & children, homemades, sexual services. EU: most migrants do NOT work on specialty (except builders); CIS: more possibilities for employment accordingly to their education and skills. Labor migrants from the capital (Chisinau) mainly go to EU; Labor migrants to Russia mainly come from small cities or rural areas (less dynamical part of a labor force).
REMITTANCE FLOWS 30% of GDP (2-nd place in the would)
LAB - TRENDS (7) The increase of money transfers; consolidation of national currency, banking system. The aggravation of contradiction between economical gain and social loses in migration (disruption of families, migrants' children «a new risk group», health deterioration, the exodus of youth and labor force, - the demographic security of the country)
CONCLUSIONS During its 20 years of independence, the Republic of Moldova has encountered many different forms of emigrational processes. It is an <<experimental laboratory for contemporary migrations». The Republic of Moldova, its population, is actively integrating itself into the world emigrational space. MAIN TREND: The Republic of Moldova leaves the influence area of the soviet\ post-soviet soviet emigrational system and begins to actively integrate itself into the international, global emigrational system.
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