“Project”: Rosstat underestimates the number of people leaving Russia by six times

Ways to leave Russia

1. Doing business in the country to which you plan to emigrate, or purchasing real estate there, investing in the economy, etc. This method is suitable for wealthy people for whom the emigration process will not be a problem.
2. Studies . There are countries in which a residence permit is given for the duration of your studies, and then there is a grace period (about six months to a year) when you can stay there to find a job. This is typical for Europe, and given that education is free when receiving grants to universities, this action is popular among young people.
3. Marriage with a foreigner . Recently, the requirements for the authenticity of family relationships have become more stringent, since previously there was a large flow of fictitious marriages.
4. Employment abroad . The method is suitable for qualified specialists or for those traveling under a program to attract migrants. You need to obtain a work permit, which is not easy.
5. Political refuge . The option is complex and difficult to prove for the receiving party.
6. Volunteer activities . To do this, you need to choose an organization that will cover the costs of moving and provide the necessary conditions.
7. In order to reunite with relatives, move to your historical homeland , by right of birth. A fairly popular method for moving to Israel, but it is also used for other countries, for example, Germany, Hungary or Romania. There is a simplified entry procedure for such people.
8. Participation in green card drawings . This method is suitable for moving to the USA, where there is an annual drawing of residence permits around the world. So you can try your luck if this country attracts you. In total, the United States issues 1 million green cards a year to its migrants, only a small part of them goes through drawings, approximately 250 thousand.

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Check out the rating of reliable migration companies! The method by which departure is carried out most often determines the country where it is carried out. If you are studying in Germany, Austria, or the Czech Republic, and you manage to get a job there, then you will have to leave there. The same applies to moving to relatives and to your historical homeland. In fact, the method determines the place where you plan to emigrate. But if there is a choice, then you need to consider several factors that determine the attractiveness of a country from the point of view of migration to it.

“Project”: Rosstat underestimates the number of people leaving Russia by six times

The Project publication published a study on how many Russians are actually leaving the country. It follows from this that Rosstat’s data on emigration from Russia are significantly underestimated.

In 2021 - this is the latest fresh data - Rosstat reported 377 thousand people who went abroad, which was a record figure for the last five years. Compared to 2012, the number of emigrants from Russia has more than tripled, and in just the third term of Putin’s presidency, 1 million 700 thousand people left the country.

The “project” compared these figures with the number of Russians who emigrated, which was recorded by the departments of the receiving countries. The year 2016 was taken as an example, data for which are available in most foreign countries. The discrepancies turned out to be significant: according to Rosstat, 4,694 people left Russia for Germany, while the German side recorded 24,983 arrivals.

Infographic: How Many Russians Are Leaving Russia? (Russian)

The data for the USA, the Czech Republic and Hungary differ most strongly from the Rosstat figures - by 9, 12 and 14 times, respectively. In general, 6 times more people left Russia for the 24 countries that are members of the Economic Cooperation Organization than Rosstat claims.

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• The Project’s study also notes that Russia is in third place in the world in terms of the total number of emigrants: in 2021, 10.6 million people were recorded to have left the country, which is 7% of the total population of Russia and 4% of emigrants from all countries . Only India and Mexico are ahead of Russia in this indicator.
• The majority of emigrants from Russia in 2021 are people of working age, under 34 years old. At the same time, the number of people leaving with higher education has sharply increased: compared to 2012 – more than 4 times. The number of people emigrating with an academic degree has doubled.
• More than 40 percent of Russians cite better living conditions abroad and an unstable economic situation in their country as reasons that made them think about emigrating. Almost every eighth thought about leaving due to the lack of protection in Russia from the arbitrariness of authorities and officials.
• The Project also provides statistics on requests for emigration from Russia in search engines. The peaks of such requests occurred at the beginning of 2014 - the height of the Ukrainian crisis, which ended with the annexation of Crimea, and March 2021, when Putin became president of Russia for the fourth time.

Factors of attractiveness of countries to which you plan to emigrate

• Developed economy and high level of wages . This factor is a reason for many to leave Russia with its low level of remuneration for staff. Therefore, the developed countries of Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, and the oil-producing United Arab Emirates are preferable.
• High level of social security and availability of social programs . Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and Canada stand out here. However, becoming their citizen is not an easy task.
• Climatic conditions . The climatic conditions of Southern and Western Europe (Spain, Portugal, Italy), as well as Australia and New Zealand with their unique nature and landscapes are preferable. According to this parameter, emigration to the UAE with a hot climate and Canada with its cloudy weather and a population constantly taking antidepressants is difficult.
• Speed ​​and convenience of obtaining a residence permit . Countries that stand out here are the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, where the language is closer to ours, as well as Montenegro and Spain. True, in Montenegro the attitude towards Russians has recently worsened, so it has become less popular. But this applies to Europe, and there is also Latin America with Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. But it is difficult to compare their crime situation with the situation in calm and prosperous Eurasia. But it's easier to get there.
• Availability of universities for studying and subsequent relocation . There is no competition here from Western European countries (Germany, Great Britain, France with their most prestigious universities that provide free grants and discounted tuition fees for foreigners, among others), but the USA and Canada are also on the emigration list for students.
• Availability of pension programs . This factor is attractive to older people. There are options for such programs in exotic Panama, where retirees are entitled to great benefits. It is also popular to move to Bulgaria, where you can live quite decently on a Russian pension, receiving it from any bank. In this case, you don’t have to obtain citizenship; a residence permit will suffice.
• Cheap accommodation . Quite often emigration to countries where there are cheap goods and inexpensive food is used. These include the People's Republic of China, which is popular for relocating citizens from the east of our country who are accustomed to its climatic conditions, as well as Thailand and the Philippines, where there are opportunities for comfortable living at inexpensive prices. Many emigrate to Egypt for the same reason, purchasing real estate there, but one should take into account the extremely hot climate of this region in the summer and weigh their capabilities against this factor.

For yourself, when deciding on the issue of emigration, you need to decide which factor of attractiveness is prevalent. If these are job prospects in a highly developed economy and future professional development - this is one approach, if a focus on the ease of obtaining a residence permit is another, if we are talking about the opportunity to live in a country where everything is inexpensive and you can earn a decent living - a third .

Often these approaches contradict each other, and you need to make a clear choice for yourself based on your mentality, professional training, age, expectations and needs.

Rating of popular countries for emigration

Immigration from Russia is a phenomenon that is quite feasible for anyone who wants to leave their homeland. There are a lot of programs developed taking into account the individual goals and needs of citizens. This year the list of the most popular countries has not changed much. Among them:

• Germany;
• USA;
• Israel;
• Canada;
• Finland;
• Great Britain;
• Australia.

Russian emigrants trust Spain, the Czech Republic, New Zealand, Switzerland and Norway. It is generally accepted that the economy of these countries is more stable, and the issue of career growth in them is more promising. You can find out about the best countries for migration from Russia here.

Statistical data

The results of studies by various statistical agencies showed that more than 200 thousand people left the country this year. The State Statistics Service announces a figure of only 34 thousand, including only those who have officially received citizenship in other countries.

Immigration from Russia statistics is a stubborn thing. According to the survey, about 22% of respondents would like to build their lives outside of Russia. Just a couple of years ago this figure was half that. The good news, however, is that only 1% of this number is going to make their intention come true; most of them are students or entrepreneurs.

The presence of such a desire is largely explained by the wide variety of student programs through which modern youth can secure not only education at a European university, but also further employment. As for entrepreneurs, they are scared away in the Russian Federation by the lack of opportunities to run a healthy business and the low quality of social guarantees.

Where are Russians going in 2021?

As practice shows, the main wave of those leaving Russia are people from 24 to 38 years old who are highly qualified. Of course, there are younger emigrants who stay to study and then receive foreign citizenship, there are also people of pre-retirement age who exchange environmentally not very prosperous Russia for other countries, but this is the main contingent of those leaving. Where are these people going, and what is the direction of the flow in 2021?

1. Germany.
2. USA.
3. Israel.
4. Baltic countries (mainly with subsequent movement to Western Europe).
5. China.
6. Canada.
7. Spain.
8. Czech Republic.
9. Australia.
10. Bulgaria.

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This is roughly what the top ten to which our compatriots are emigrating looks like. Moreover, the reason for the popularity of these countries is completely different: people go to Israel for repatriation, through Giyur, to Germany and the USA - for economic reasons, to the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Spain - due to the availability of obtaining a residence permit, and to the first two of them because of a similar language , to Canada and Australia - based on the availability of admission programs for specialists.

But recently, due to political events, relations with the USA and Canada in the first place have become more complicated, and countries such as the United Arab Emirates, where you can easily get a job, or Thailand and the Philippines with their cheapness, have become popular and are approaching the top ten. and mild climate. True, it is almost impossible to obtain citizenship in the UAE, and summer there is a serious test for any unfamiliar person. But a well-paid job, for example, a job in Dubai for a Russian, is quite easy to find. Many people have obtained residence permits in Montenegro through real estate, although political upheavals have recently interfered there. Moving to Finland is also popular, as it is a geographically and climatically close neighbor.

There is also migration to the Commonwealth of Independent States, but it is not as significant as moving to other states. Basically, it is based on ethnic motives.

Reasons for today's emigration

Emigration in the Russian state has always existed - people went abroad both during Tsarist Rus' and twenty years ago. They are leaving now. Of course, the scale of the outflow of citizens differed in different time periods, as did the reasons that forced Russian people to emigrate.

One of the first famous political emigrants was Prince Andrei Kurbsky - a commander, writer and philanthropist, he was a person close to Ivan the Terrible. Kurbsky left for Lithuania, some say that he simply fled from the tsar’s wrath at the height of the Livonian War, but the prince himself argued the opposite. Corresponding with the king, he denounced him for imagining himself to be God and doing terrible things indiscriminately. Ivan the Terrible replied that he was free to either reward or execute his slaves. Hundreds of years have passed, and the main reason for emigration for political reasons has not changed - people do not agree with the policies of the current government.

If we consider Russia after 1917 and until today, we can distinguish five emigration waves, differing in time, circumstances and reasons:

1. The first wave, called the Russian white emigration, arose as a consequence of the Civil War. Patriots and the intellectual elite were forced to leave, who did not at all want the delights of life abroad and remained faithful to their native country. At this time, world famous people left Russia - Ivan Bunin and Alexander Kuprin, Fyodor Chaliapin and Sergei Rachmaninov. It became uncomfortable in Russia for the philosopher Nikolai Berdyaev, and the outstanding chess player Alexander Alekhine, and many, many others... those who represented, formed the basis of the scientific and cultural life of the country.
2. The second wave, called “emigrants in the shadows,” affected the years 1941–1960 and people who were displaced outside our country during the Second World War, as well as those who for some reason avoided repatriation (return) to the USSR. Mostly ordinary people left, who then did not communicate with each other, for fear of being extradited to the USSR.
3. The third wave of emigration lasted until 1986. Most of those who left at this time were Jews and Germans who wanted to reunite with their family. The main difference between this wave and the previous ones was that people left the USSR absolutely legally. Although there was one principle that was necessary to comply with - if a person left the USSR of his own free will, that is, voluntarily, he could not come back, even for the funeral of his parents. Alexander Solzhenitsyn emigrated from the Soviet Republic during the third wave.
4. The fourth wave of emigration is associated with economic reasons; it began in the 1990s. The communist system showed its inconsistency; society was busy searching for new ways of development, which were still far from perfect. People no longer wanted to destroy all their connections, burn bridges behind them, many subsequently planned to return to Russia or live in two countries.
5. The fifth wave occurred in the 2000s, at which time talented and educated people began to leave Russia, that is, in fact, a global “brain drain” began to occur.

See also: How to register through State Services?

At the present stage, emigration from Russia occurs for the following reasons:

• The environmental situation is unfavorable in many Russian regions, which also affects the life expectancy of the country's population. For example, now this figure reaches 72.1 years, and this is an absolute record for Russia. For comparison, we note that in Israel the average life expectancy is 82.1 years, in Japan - 83.6, and in the USA - 78.9 years. The Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions are considered the most polluted regions of Russia.
• Level of security - every person wants to hope that the state will take care of him and his family, but in Russia, most often, people are not at all confident in the future; probably everyone has a feeling of insecurity. The crime rate in some European countries and in Russia is practically not comparable.
• Political situation - if it does not suit a person, then it is almost impossible to influence it. How many will live in a country whose policies contradict their life principles and views?
• Professional fulfillment - few people manage to make a good career in Russia, and most of them live in Moscow or St. Petersburg; in small cities there are very few opportunities for career growth.
• Salary - it is difficult to realize and adequately perceive the fact that for similar work foreign colleagues receive a salary that is several times higher than the Russian one.
• Comfortable living environment - Russians are looking for opportunities to improve their life, to make sure it has good roads, developed infrastructure, friendly locals, social guarantees, quality education and medical care.
• Conditions for talented people – it’s no secret that Russian scientists are valued abroad. And not only scientists, but also simply people gifted in various fields. They are in demand, therefore, their work is well paid, and favorable conditions are created for them to move.

Important: there have always been political and religious reasons for emigrating from Russia, and they still exist today. In recent years, for example, Evgeny Chichvarkin, who created the Euroset chain of stores, and Igor Sutyagin, an analyst who was convicted of espionage, were forced to leave the state. For political reasons, Boris Berezovsky, Yuliy Dubov, Boris Kuznetsov and many other famous people moved abroad.

Also, a large number of Russian citizens in 2008 decided to change their country of residence due to the global economic crisis, which also affected Russia. The year 2014 was remembered for the collapse of the Russian ruble exchange rate against the dollar and euro, which had an extremely negative impact on the socio-economic situation in the Russian Federation. This caused a new surge in the “suitcase mood” among people, which was also facilitated by the introduction of economic sanctions against Russia in connection with the events in Ukraine.

See also: Procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship by a Kazakh citizen

What is needed to emigrate?

First of all, you need firm determination and choice of the country where it is carried out. Then you should check whether you will be released from Russia: if there are any debts, a flight ban has been imposed, or other reasons preventing emigration, they must be eliminated. Then you should apply for a visa, move to the country, obtain a residence permit there, and then citizenship (if necessary and possible). This is a universal algorithm in which various changes are possible depending on the characteristics of emigration. If you win a green card, then everything becomes simpler; if you apply for a residence permit for study or purchase of real estate or investment, the same applies. Sometimes only a stateless visa is possible, as in the UAE; there are many other nuances that should be thoroughly clarified during the process of preparing documents.