Refugees and forced migrants are people compelled by political, military or religious circumstances to abandon places of permanent residence and seek shelter in another country or another part of the same country.
The problem is a global one and concerns Russia as well.
International law and national legislation of other countries do not use the term "forced migrants". It is a purely Russian definition. As a rule, the terms "displaced persons", "internal refugees," etc. are used abroad.
There is a number of laws regulating the legal status of refugees and displaced persons internationally. In October 1992, Russia acceded to them (Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation No. 3728 1 dated October 26, 1992 "On the Accession of the Russian Federation to the Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees").
Norms of international law on refugees and forced migrants are incorporated in Russian legislation. In 1993, to meet mounting problems of refugees and basing itself on international documents, Russia adopted the laws "On Refugees" and "On Forced Migrants". In compliance with these laws, a presidential decree established the Federal Migration Service in 1992, which became the central federal executive body responsible for state migration policy and coordination of work in this field.
The Federal Migration Service concerns itself mainly with refugees and forced migrants who are already staying in Russia. Its federal and local offices give them shelter, grant the status of forced migrants, keep records of their numbers and help with settlement and matters within their scope of authority.
Temporary asylum is provided in a procedure established by the Russian government. Expenditures involved in reception, transportation, placement and settlement of refugees and forced migrants are financed out of federal budgetary sums set aside for federal migration programs and regional budgetary sums set aside for regional migration programs.
Russian legislation also stipulates the creation of aid funds, which are non-profit organizations established in line with federal and/or regional laws at federal and/or regional (interregional) level and pursuing social, charitable and other socially useful purposes.
To regulate the migration of population within the Russian Federation, the Russian government has concluded a series of agreements with FSU (former Soviet Union) countries, providing for forced migrants to freely purchase housing in the country of entry, with the right to dispose of it and other property in any way, including by selling. Cash can be remitted to countries of entry without taxes and duties.
On September 24, 1993, the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries signed an agreement on assistance to refugees and forced migrants, under which a country sheltering such persons assumes an obligation to provide them with basic everyday needs in places of temporary residence; help with finding jobs, getting the documents necessary for deciding citizenship issues; requesting birth, marriage, work and other certificates from places of former residence necessary for pensions, confirmation of work record, travel abroad, etc.; help with obtaining information on relatives living in the country abandoned by a refugee or forced migrant, or the property left there.
The Advisory Council on Labor, Migration and Social Protection of the Population in CIS Countries provides practical help towards implementing these agreements.
