“Widespread discontent in Russia may well lead to further resentment towards groups of Caucasian origin”, Interview with Katerina Strani, Researcher, Greek Parliament

How currently attractive is Russia for job seekers/migrant workers from the Caucasus (and other ex-Soviet republics)?According to official statistics, Russia is the second-largest immigration country after the USA, with over 160,000 migrants annually. As the largest, most industrialized country and the most dynamic economy of all the former soviet states, Russia is certainly more attractive for job seekers from those areas, at least in principle. In Moscow, for instance, salaries can be from 5 to 15 times higher than in some CIS countries, with the exception maybe of Kazakhstan. However, it all depends on three crucial factors: firstly, the immigrant’s country of origin, secondly, the host city and thirdly, the job sought and the skills required...