“Based Putin” is a meme that has appeared online in right-wing circles ostensibly praising the Russian leader for “standing up” to “migrants” and not taking lots of migrants like Germany did. However, I have noted that reality is far from this, for Russia has only bluffed that she opposes migrants, but to the contrary is a huge supporter of mass migration, even larger than what is taking place right now in Germany.
Putin himself during a press conference yesterday confirmed this when he not only supported migration to Russia, but said that Russia needs migrants in order to sustain her economy.
It is easier for people who know the Russian language and culture to adapt to Russian conditions, which is why in addressing immigration to Russia it is necessary to proceed from the level of education and the cultural proximity of migrants. This was announced on Thursday during a large press conference by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Putin noted that solving the world’s demographic problem has two approaches: increasing the birth rate and thereby increasing the natural population growth, as well as immigration.
According to the forecast of the Federal State Statistics Service to reduce the number of able-bodied citizens in Russia, the number of able-bodied Russians will decrease by 500 thousand in the next 15 years under an optimistic scenario. That is, in 2019, 81.4 million people, or 55.4% of the total population, fall into the category of able-bodied people, and by 2036 already 80.9 million people, or 52.8% of Russians. As a result of the aging of the population, the number of people older than working age (men 60 years and older, women 55 years and older) in 2019 will amount to 38 million people (25.9% of the population), and by 2035, according to the optimistic scenario, will increase by 9, 6 million, up to 47.6 million people (31.1% of the population).
No entry ban for foreigners
The domestic labor market needs qualified personnel for the country’s economic growth, therefore, it is not a ban on the entry of foreigners into Russia that is required, but a controlled influx of them, Putin said.
“This does not mean that we should forbid these people (migrants from other countries – approx. TASS) to come. The economy requires an influx of citizens. The lack of the right personnel in the labor market and with adequate qualifications is an objective factor of restrained economic growth today, but to do so everything needs to be approached wisely and appropriately, “he said.
The President noted that the issue of migration must be approached systematically. “Inside the country, it is simply necessary that the public of our respective constituent entities of the federation work within their own entities, national republics so that people moving from one region of our common homeland feel comfortable and at the same time respect laws and rules,” he added . (source)
The image that Russia presents to the world versus the reality is something that, for the careful observer, is obvious to see as it is shocking. One does not have to speak or read Russian in order to see the myriad of statistics which show that Russia is in a state of decline so severe that she would seem to be on par with violence, poverty, drug abuse, disease rates, income, and corruption as to many nations in sub-saharan Africa. Russia is a powerful nation, but she is disintegrating from within. The biggest indicator of this is the decline of her human capital, for people are in any society and regardless of race the greatest asset a society possesses. This is truly the wealth of Africa, for while she may be poor, badly developed, and continually exploited, her large populations, driven often times by Christian or Muslim religious beliefs, have allowed her to expand in size and “export” her people around the world. This is not an “invasion,” but the natural fruit of obedience to God’s command to “be fruitful and multiply.”
Russia’s population is in terrible condition. Her nation is twice the size of all the US (including Alaska, Hawaii, and territories), only has 43% of the total population, and with a fertility rate that is well-below replacement rate alongside a wrecked family structure, non-existent economy, and little hope for the future.
But this is only part of the story. Right south of Russia are the Central Asian nations, whose combined population totals nearly half of all Russia, and who live in conditions that are far more impoverished and miserable than in Russia. These people, who were once under the dominion of the USSR, are migrating with the permission of the Russian government in mass for hopes of a better life.
The case of migration to Russia is similar to that of Mexico and Central America. Indeed, a parallel can be drawn between the two because America and Russia are both imperial powers who exercise a great amount of control, and their neighbors to the south provide important sources of cheap labor for both. Given that these nations are geographic neighbors, the journey is not incredibly far.
One can prove this by going to Google maps. Consider a major city in Russia near the border with Central Asia such as Orenburg, and then attempt to find the longest route possible from any of the -stan nations to it (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan). The longest I could find was 3047 KM, or 1893 miles, or just a little more than the distance from Boston to Houston in the USA. Likewise, consider that the distance from the furthest point in Central America (Interamericana, Panama) to San Antonio, TX- a city similar to Orenburg –is 2940 miles. If we likewise take our previous point in Central Asia and put that to Moscow, it is 2798 miles, or almost 150 miles less than for the person traveling from Central America.
“Central Asians” to Russia are what “Mexicans”, “Guatemalans,” and their sister nations’ peoples are to the USA. The migration to the US from these parts, as with Russia, is an organic movement that is not going to be stopped because first it would be difficult, and second it would not be in their economic interests. This is more the case for Russia than the US, because Russia is losing people due to self-inflicted behaviors and needs to make up for the loss, and Central Asians are happy to fill that role since they have nothing to lose.
People talk about massive immigration to the US from Central America, but it is nothing in comparison with Central Asia. The gas-rich nation of Turkmenistan on the Caspian Sea coast, which has some of the most repressive laws on earth and is regarded by some as another North Korean type state, has had over a quarter of her population move away in the last ten years, mostly to Russia.
It is true that the Hispanic immigrants have changed the US. Nobody can deny this. But so did the Germans (which are the largest single ethnic group in the US), Irish, Italians, Greeks, Portuguese, Polish, and now Arabs, Indians, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Filipinos, Ukrainians, and Russians. There have been ethnic tensions, but the Hispanic peoples are generally (a) some form of Christian, and (b) assimilate very quickly into American society, as well as have brought lots of tasty food that Americans are now accustomed to. In spite of the talk of “conquering” America, the only thing that many of these migrants have conquered is the local all-you-can-eat buffet, and the ones that have risen to positions of political power have maintained the current paradigms.
The Central Asians are a different story. They are bound to Russia by centuries of history, in particular that of conquering and subjugating the Russians. These people are Muslims, and while their food and culture contributes to Russian society in a positive way, it is also a threat for many people on both sides- Russian and Central Asian. Russia was for centuries ruled by these people, and while Russia subjugated them beginning in the mid-16th century and completed her conquest of Siberia by the end of the 18th century, she knows that history could repeat again, and she could fall to their yoke that she once was under. Yet she also cannot stop the migrations because of her declining internal infrastructure.
According to an article from Russian PolitOnline, the number of people who have expressed a fear of the migrants has almost doubled, from 10% to 18%, in just one year, and it comes at a time with increased political instability in Russia.
The latest Levada Center survey showed that 59% consider price increases to be the most alarming factor, and 42% consider poverty and impoverishment of the majority of the population to be such a problem. Many noted corruption, bribery and rising unemployment (41%). About 30% noted the inaccessibility of many types of medical services, while 29% mentioned a sharp separation between rich and poor and an unfair distribution of income.
Almost one in four Russians is worried about the crisis in the economy. And the number of Russians, most afraid of the influx of migrants, has almost doubled compared to last year – from 10 to 18% of respondents.
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It is clear that polls by sociologists reflect the reaction of society to the political processes that took place before a single voting day. Oppositionists exaggerated in the information field data on unheard of wealth belonging to relatives of officials, huge apartments and dachas worth a billion rubles. And after unjustifiably gross arrests of hundreds of people, the topic became even more relevant. (source)
The migration issue is a fact that is taking place all over Europe, and just like in Germany, the general solution in Russia has been to present nationalism as an answer. Given how Russia tends to follow the lead of the West in what trends and actions she takes- a pattern that has been noted throughout history -it is likely that Russia may be copying Germany and “helping” to import people from Central Asia into her for political reasons.
Putin is no fool, and in his situation, he is trying to keep together a Russia that is internally disintegrating due to over a century of bad policies and extreme abuse from her so-called “leaders”, including Putin and his friends.
The migrant question is not one that Russia can avoid because Russia NEEDS migrants because she cannot survive without them, as given the current trends taking place, they are the future of that country as the Slavic people largely do not care about a future as is evidenced by their actions. Nations are made of people, and the future belongs to the people who want to be in a society.
Currently, Russia has one of two possible futures. One is a likely breakup of Russia into a series of ethnic and warring republics like it has been throughout her history, with “Slavic Russia” becoming a state mostly west of the Urals with separate Muslim (Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, etc. ), Buddhist (Kalmykia, Buryatia, Altai Krai), and quasi-pagan (Yakutia, Tuva) republics, which could become Chinese satellites. This is not an option for her. The other possibility is essentially a massive “Brazilianization” of Russia, which while already existing, means more closely drawing together the diverse peoples of Russia to attempt to make them “one people” of many colors. Thus is the reason why Sergei Shoigu, the son of a Tuvan father and a Slavic Russian mother, was appointed as head of the Russian military, as his physical person is meant to be a living representation of the union of diverse races in Russia.
This is also the reason why both the US and Russia push racism and nationalism within each other, for it is an attempt to divide up peoples internally so to make either nation easier to conquer. The difference is that the US is far more effective in realizing the same goals.
The future is going to be very interesting as many changes are likely to happen. However, one must keep in mind that the current push for nationalism is not about helping people or advocating for “traditionalism”, but about staring a war and for political gains. While there are differences between people, mutual cooperation by all is necessary in order to build a future, where people can have their differences and also respect and mix with eahc other in a natural, harmonious way.
Putin knows this well. He is just good at bluffing to the contrary when it serves him.