Center for Sociological and Internet Research of St. Petersburg State University on attitudes towards labor migrants in Moscow and St. Petersburg

From September 28 to October 8, 2013 Resource Center of St. Petersburg State University "Center for Sociological and Internet Research" conducted a sociological study of interethnic relations and problems labor migration in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

aim research was an assessment of the state of interethnic relations, identification of the main problems in this area, identification of emerging ethnostereotypes, ethnophobia among the inhabitants of these two megacities. Sample the study included " only the indigenous inhabitants of Moscow and Petersburg ". An adult was interviewed (18 years old and older) the population of Moscow and St. Petersburg through a standardized interview. The number of respondents was 1800 people, in Moscow - 1000, in St. Petersburg - 800.   The problem of interethnic relations is considered acute in St. Petersburg 51.7% citizens, in Moscow - 55.3%. They do not feel particularly acute, although they recognize the problem more often in St. Petersburg than in Moscow: 36.4 and 33.9%, respectively. The fact that most likely there is no such problem was answered by about 6% of citizens in both cities. And about 3% of St. Petersburg and about 2% of Muscovites do not feel the problem at all.

In St. Petersburg, 45.8% of citizens expect that the problem of interethnic relations will soon escalate, 34.9% are ready for it to escalate. in Moscow in the near future the deterioration was expected - 39.5%. And 38.1% expected an exacerbation in the future. About 11% of citizens in both cities stated that the problem with migrants will go to decline.

Most residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg annoying in visitors is that "they are different." 81.7% of citizens in St. Petersburg and 79.2 - in Moscow they said that they were annoyed by the way migrants dressed, talk, behave in public places. 42% of Muscovites and about a third of residents of other capitals do not like the way guests treat locals. 35% of residents of the capitals believe that visitors are treated badly to the cities, they litter and disturb the order. Attitude towards women was in 4th place, this was noted by a third of the respondents. By 20% with a little percent sure that migrants work is unacceptable. Difficult to answer in St. Petersburg 6.6%, and in Moscow - 3.7%.

In St. Petersburg, almost half of the respondents (47.1%) stated that all the differences between migrants and the indigenous population are for the worse. IN Moscow is 42.4%. Moscow also acknowledges that in some ways visitors may differ for the better, 43.3%, in St. Petersburg - 39.6%. 2% noted that migrants compare favorably with residents. And only 4.3% of St. Petersburg residents said that guests no different from the owners. In Moscow, this is 5% of the respondents.

About a third residents of St. Petersburg noted that "strangers" are all those who came to work. In Moscow, this opinion is shared twice less - 16%. In St. Petersburg, 13.7% of respondents were called "strangers" in general everyone who came from another country. In Moscow, 6.3% said so. 36% of Petersburgers believe that "alien" is a person of any other culture. In Moscow - 33.7%. Almost equally in both capitals there were those who "strangers" defines by nationality or religion - order 13-16%. About 10% identify strangers by purely external signs Petersburgers and 4% of Muscovites.

In St. Petersburg, 16.6% of residents do not divide people into friends and foes. In Moscow - 18%.

For three percent of Petersburgers and one percent Muscovites are strangers - these are people of other political views. In St. Petersburg 1.8% They also called such a criterion: people of a different level of prosperity. In Moscow less than a percentage of such citizens.

"Aliens", those whom the respondents would prefer not to see at all in our country, were not migrants at all. Almost a third of Petersburgers and a quarter of Muscovites name our visitors from the republics of the North Caucasus among the most unwanted guests. Visitors from Central Asia is worse by a percentage and a half. On the third place - residents of Transcaucasia, they were named by 25% of Petersburgers and 21% of Muscovites. Chinese and Vietnamese cause a negative attitude in about one-fifth of those surveyed. A more than 70% of native Russians are ready to see Ukrainians and Belarusians only guests, but even take them as friends and close relatives. 15-20% of respondents are ready to make friends or intermarry with those who are traditionally disliked as migrants.

A third of the respondents would not mind seeing newcomers as neighbors. AND as many named their homes and courtyards places that should be cleared of migrants in the first place. In reality, they intersect in houses and yards 48% of St. Petersburg and 44% of Muscovites.

It was the second most frequent answer to the question of where city dwellers are most likely to encounter migrants. in housing and communal services and Only 2.4% of Petersburgers and 2.1% of Muscovites saw migrants at construction sites. Mostly, working guests live in shops and markets, where they see 63.1% of respondents in St. Petersburg and 49.9% - in Moscow. In public slightly less than half of respondents. The report of sociologists does not say how some passengers identify in other migrants. Drivers or conductors of visitors not very often seen in Moscow - 21.5%, but often in St. Petersburg - 44.1%.

To the question "Have you personally had to encounter offensive behavior on the part of visitors?” Less than a third of respondents answered positively: 28% in St. Petersburg and 27% in Moscow. The remaining 70% with offensive behavior migrants did not come across, but most of them also do not want to see visitors.

Citizens say employers are hiring migrants because those can be paid less. 88% think so Petersburgers and 87% of Muscovites. Almost the same, 84 and 86%, respectively, sure that visitors are really paid less. Especially since indigenous people and will not go to the work that migrants do - a third of the inhabitants of St. Petersburg and a quarter of Muscovites are sure.

Most Muscovites, 76.3%, as the main measure to improve situation in the field of interethnic relations called the improvement of the work of migration services. In St. Petersburg, the most common answer is "tougher punishment employers for using the labor of illegal migrants". More half of the respondents are sure that it is necessary to improve the work law enforcement. Almost as many said that, on the one On the one hand, it is necessary to teach migrants the Russian language, and on the other hand, to prevention of racism and extremism among young people. And they think the same that it is necessary to cooperate with national diasporas. A third of the citizens see the need for educational work on television and in the press with the purpose of preventing interethnic conflicts.

For tightening the procedure for entering Russia (for introducing visa regime) was expressed by 13.4% of Petersburgers and 16.5% of Muscovites.

See also the commentary to the poll of the director of the SOVA center Alexander Verkhovsky on the website of the Fontanka.ru newspaper .

Sources

• On the results of a study of interethnic relations and problems of labor migration in Moscow and St. Petersburg, conducted by the Resource Center of St. Petersburg State University "Center for Sociological and Internet Research" // Official site of St. Petersburg State University. 2013. [October 20].
• Tumakova I. Who is more tolerant, brother? // Fontanka.ru. 2013. October 21.