EF’s migration program began in Russia in 2005. Since then, its activities have expanded to Central Asia and the South Caucasus. To date, EF has invested over $1 million to assist migrant workers.
In Russia, the New Eurasia Foundation's (FNE) migration program aims to improve communication among governmental bodies, businesses and NGOs to address migration-related problems. In collaboration with the Federal Migration Service, other NGOs and independent experts, FNE is designing a system for monitoring migration trends into Russia and introducing effective models for social adaptation and integration of migrants into local communities. For example, FNE has initiated “migration bridges” between the Russian territories where certain migrants are living and their home countries. In this initiative, pairs of migration information centers are established which provide support—such as job announcements, legal consultations and professional training—to the migrants. In addition to building these migration bridges with its neighbors, FNE is collaborating with EF Network partners to share knowledge and experience in the field of migration.
Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia (EFCA) provides vital services to Central Asian migrants though Labor Migrant Support Centers, which provide consultations, legal assistance and job placement information. EFCA works to improve access to information and legal recourse for labor migrants; promote dialogue between civil and state authorities on the issues of labor migrants’ legal protection and legalization; and assist labor migrants improve their qualifications and find legal job placements.
In Armenia, Eurasia Partnership Foundation (EPF) aims to reduce illegal labor migration from Armenia and promote the reintegration of returnees. EPF is implementing a program that will increase the understanding among policy-makers of current trends in labor migration, develop the capacities of local institutions to serve as Migration and Return Resource Centers and develop partnerships between these resource centers and similar centers in Armenia and abroad. Additionally, EPF’s Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC) conducts the Data Initiative, an annual three-country survey of household economic behavior and social attitudes, including attitudes towards labor migration. In 2007, with support from the International Organization for Migration, CRRC conducted a pilot survey in Yerevan and three of Armenia’s regions to examine attitudes towards labor migration among adults and to determine the profile of potential labor migrants.
