Trends in Labor Migration in Post-Soviet Countries
Annotatsiya
Abstract This chapter examines evolving migration dynamics across the post-Soviet area, tracing shifts from outmigration of nonnative ethnic groups to recent socioeconomically motivated movements, and analyzing how labor mobility, remittances, and institutional arrangements have influenced national development trajectories. Under the Soviet system, migration mainly served as an instrument of industrialization and regional development, managed through organized labor recruitment, restricted mobility, and large-scale urban resettlement. These institutional legacies laid the foundation for enduring interrepublic linkages that continue to shape migration flows today. Drawing on case studies from the countries of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, this chapter highlights the transition from unidirectional labor outflows toward complex, multivector, and circular migration patterns. The chapter explores recent migration trends since the 2000s, describes the socioeconomic role of remittances, and shows how countries have responded to major disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The chapter further explains the institutionalization of migration cooperation, including bilateral labor agreements, regional policy frameworks, and coordination on migrants’ rights and social protection; the diversification of migrant destinations beyond Russia for jobs; and the growing role of countries like Kazakhstan and the Baltic states as both transit and host countries for migrant workers.