printChildren in Low-Income Migrant Households in Russia (part 2)
Mukomel V.I.
Dr. Sci. (Sociol.), Chief Researcher, Head of the Center for the Study of Interethnic Relations, Institute of Sociology of FCTAS RAS, Moscow, Russia mukomel@isras.ru
Mukomel V.I. Children in Low-Income Migrant Households in Russia (part 2). Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2025. No 12. P. 80-91
The first part of the article (see No. 11, 2025) considered the problems of measuring the poverty of migrant households, analyzed the profiles of poor households with children (proportion, composition and characteristics of families), differences in the poverty level of migrant households from Central Asian states. The human capital of low-income households was assessed including the parents’ and children’s knowledge of Russian. Accessibility to preschool and school education for children from poor migrant families was discussed. The second part continues the analysis of the human and social capital of parents from poor migrant households, assessing their children’s housing conditions and access to healthcare. It is shown that the poverty of migrant families with children is not only five times higher than in local households, but also qualitatively different: migrant children not only attend worse schools, but also live in worse housing and grow up in a worse social environment than their local peers from the same households. Subjective perceptions of poverty in migrant families are identified. Assessments are provided of their level of integration into Russian society and the subsequent migration strategies of members of low-income households. The majority of respondents from low-income households with children identify themselves as Russian citizens more often than with their fellow citizens in their home country; many intend to remain in Russia permanently. The presence of children and the household’s financial situation play an important role in the focus on integration, creating a favorable environment both within the family and in the external communications of its members with the surrounding society. Possible directions for further research are discussed. In conclusion it is argued that the abandonment of integration policies – declared recently by authorities – entails serious negative consequences not only for low-income migrant households with children but also for the host society. The article is based on sociological surveys conducted in 2011, 2017, 2020, and 2023, involving 2,760, 7,245, 673, and 2,697 households respectively for which budget information was available.
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