Seminar “Migration as Common Problem of European Countries”

On June 05, 2015, the Seminar “Migration as Common Problem of European Countries” has taken place at Astrakhan State University. Prof. Bruce Leimsidor (the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy) has been its main expert.

A whole number of officials, volunteers, and reps of religious confessions has taken part in the Seminar. The range of organizations and institutions represented at the event has included Astrakhan Region’s Ministry of International & Foreign Economic Relations, the Federal Migration Service of the Russian Federation, the Astrakhan Nonprofit Organization “Without Borders”, the Saint John the Forerunner Orthodox Male Monastery located in the city of Astrakhan, and the New Step Volunteer Center operating at Astrakhan State University.

The participants of the Seminar have discussed acute problems that young people have to face nowadays, as well as issues of cooperation between legal authorities and youth and volunteer movements; they have shared their practical experience in tackling problems of migration.

As for Prof. Leimsidor, he has answered questions related to the EU migration legislation, to cultural assimilation of refugees in the EU countries, to medical examinations of migrants, and to media coverage of migration processes. The distinguished guest has pointed out that the Russian program to support Russians abroad is especially relevant; the reps of the Regional Ministry of International & Foreign Economic Relations have told him in details about it.

Comparing experience in tackling migration issues in the Russian Federation and in the EU countries, Prof. Leimsidor has remarked that for instance, Ukrainian migrants have more employment opportunities in Russia than African migrants in Europe. He has emphasized that modern Russians are tolerant towards migrants, which, in his opinion, is due to their national character. The professor is planning to publish an article about integration of Ukrainian migrants in Russia.

Answering the question if there are volunteer centers at Italian universities similar to Russian ones, Prof. Leimsidor has answered that Italian students are quite politicized and that they act as volunteers together with their potential employers, as the young unemployment rate in Italy makes up 40 %. He has advised Russian volunteer centers to interact between each other more closely and to set up tight links with reputable organizations and with religious institutions.

As the participants of the Seminar say, the discussion has been productive and constructive; it is of considerable importance to tackle issues of foreigners’ residence in Astrakhan Region efficiently.

Russian original information source: Dmitriy Bychkov (the Press Service of ASU)

Russian original photo source: Tatyana Antropova (the TV Media Center of ASU)