Postdoctoral Researcher Eraliev Sherzod ja työryhmä (IMPACT)

Post-Soviet Immigration in the Wake of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine and Its Repercussions for the Finnish Immigration Policies

Tieteellinen tutkimus / siihen pohjautuva työ | Nelivuotinen

The overall aim of this project is to investigate the multifaceted implications of newly-emerging immigration flows from post-Soviet societies into Finland in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine since February 2022. It aims to explore the potential emergence of parallel immigrant societies due to the influx of Russian-speaking populations, considering the diverse cohorts of immigrants and the Finnish government’s proposed immigration policy changes. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has rippled across geopolitical boundaries, sparking extensive migration movements as individuals sought refuge and opportunities beyond the conflict zones. Among the countries affected, Finland, with its geographical proximity to Russia and Ukraine, has experienced a noticeable increase in immigration from the post-Soviet space. This migration phenomenon encompasses a diverse array of immigrants, including Ukrainian refugees escaping the horrors of the war, Russians fleeing their homeland due to the war efforts initiated by their government, and labour migrants predominantly originating from Central Asia. The project is very timely. In light of global transformations, especially in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Finland is also facing multidimensional challenges like many other EU countries. Migration governance and migrant integration are some of the key challenges in this regard. These concerns are especially timely and alarming when we consider the fact that Russia’s aggression triggered new waves of migratory flows to the EU, particularly to Finland, due to its geographic proximity to the conflict zone. Understanding how Russian-speaking immigrants adapt to and integrate (or segregate from) the mainstream Finnish society is of paramount importance. In this sense, our project, bringing original insights from ethnographic fieldwork as well as producing new policy insights, will generate responses to society’s big questions.