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Paper short abstract:

In recent years, labor migrants from Central Asia increasingly often bring their children to Russia. Since 2017, I have been studying the ways in which migrant children adapt in schools and the problems they face. Studies conducted in schools in Moscow, Moscow Region, Tomsk and Irkutsk

Paper long abstract:

In recent years, labor migrants from Central Asia increasingly often bring their children to Russia. This is due to the fact that some of them are able to find good jobs in Russia and to rent an apartment, so it becomes feasible for them to live in Russia with their families. Some migrants bring their children over so that they could subsequently stay in the country for study and work. For this category of migrants, Russia appears to be a country that provides more opportunities for their children in the future.

Since 2017, I have been studying the ways in which migrant children adapt in schools and the problems they face at these educational institutions. Studies conducted in schools in Moscow, Moscow Region, Tomsk and Irkutsk indicated that teachers and school administrators identify migrant children as a problem category of pupils. Many teachers understand children of migrants specifically as children from Central Asian families. Determining their strategies for working with migrant children is left to the schools themselves. Since there are no state-run adaptation programs for migrant children in Russia, in each case the school finds its own way of working with this category of pupils. In the report I will review the school’s strategies for adaptation of migrant children.

I will also analyze the stereotypes regarding migrant children that exist among teachers and parents of local children. How does this attitude affect the ability of a migrant child to enroll in school and integrate into school space? How does a school administration understand the situation of a multicultural environment and what measures are being taken by schools to create a comfortable school space for all? In my conclusion I will address the question as to whether the Russian school can be considered a place for the integration of migrant children today.

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• Demintseva E. 2018. ‘Migrant Schools’ and the ‘Children of Migrants’: Constructing Boundaries around and inside School Space. Race, Ethnicity and Education

• Demintseva E. 2017. Labour Migrants in Post-Soviet Moscow: Patterns of Settlement. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. 43 (15): 2556-2572

• Demintseva E., Zelenova D., Kosmidis E., and Oparin D. 2018. Opportunities for adaptation of migrant children in Moscow and Moscow region schools. Demografitsheskoe obozrenie. 4: 80-109

• Demintseva, E., and Peshkova V. 2014. Migranty iz Srednei Azii v Moskve. Demoscope Weekly: 597- 598