Lifelong Learning Programme GRUNDTVIG Multilateral networks INTEGRA- Migrants' Integrating Kit

Workshop, January, 2011

The Republic of Belarus in the System of Migration Processes

Vladimir FursInternational House Minsk (Belarus)

2011

ADMINISTRATIVE-TERRITORIAL DIVISION OF THE REPUBLIC OF

BELARUS AS OF 1st DECEMBER, 2010

Territory, thsd. sq. km. 207.6 (39 % - forests, 2 % - water, 43 % -arable lands, 16 % - other lands)

Population 9483.1 thsd.

Population density, persons per 1 sq. km 47

Official languages Belarusian, Russian

Regions 6

Districts 118

Cities and towns 112

Urban districts 24

Urban settlements 94

Rural councils 1361

Rural localities 23735

GENERAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC SITUATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS

Population of the Republic of Belarus: total, thsd. pers. (beginning of year)

Population of the Republic of Belarus: male and female, thsd. pers. (beginning of year)

Population pyramid (as of January 1, 2010; persons) age, years

The population size of the Republic of Belarus was 9 483,1 thsd. at December 1, 2010 meaning a decrease by 16,9 thsd. persons as compared with January 1, 2010. The population decrease is determined by the surplus of deaths over births by 26 125 persons with the positive migration gain amounting to 9229 persons

Natural decrease of population, thsd. pers.

THE MAIN RESULTS OF POPULATION MIGRATION

1945-1970 - Rural overpopulation. Intensive international migration to the other USSR republics. Rare cases of foreign emigration.

1970-1985 - Intensive intra-republican industrial development. High indexes of internal migration. No international migration.

1986-present – Depopulation tendencies; Breakup of the Soviet Union; Transition to the market economy relations; Chernobyl disaster; Arrival of refugees; Occurrence of new migration types: illegal migration, external labour migration, intellectual migration.

HISTORY AND TENDENCIES OF THE MAIN MIGRATION PROCESSES IN BELARUS

Total number of migrants (including intrarepublican migration) (persons)

2000 2005 2007 2008 2009

Total Number of Emigrants to

other countries13812 11082 9479 9268 7643

Total Number of Emigrants to CIS

countries 7249 7520 7142 6856 5313

Total Number of Emigrants to

non-CIS countries 6563 3562 2337 2412 2330

International Emigration from Belarus to other countries (persons)

International Emigration to CIS countries (persons)

2005 2008 2009

Azerbaijan 12 23 17Armenia 11 11 4

Kazakhstan 125 108 88Kyrgyzstan 1 3 3

Moldova 36 18 16Russia 6452 5786 4524

Tadzhikistan 5 2 2Turkmenistan 43 22 53

Uzbekistan 11 18 16Ukraine 811 823 590

International Emigration from Belarus to CIS-countries in 2009 (persons)

International Emigration to EU countries (persons)

2005 2008 2009

Austria 26 24 20Czech Republic 30 66 36

Estonia 16 8 6Germany 808 538 515

Italy 26 33 78Latvia 35 50 29

Lithuania 143 139 94Netherlands

7 29 30Poland 89 111 90Sweden 19 31 37

International Emigration to the USA and Canada (persons)

International Emigration to the Middle and the Near East (persons)

Gender Differentiation of Emigrants (persons aged 16 and above)

Education Level of Emigrants (persons aged 16 and above) in 2009

International Intellectual Emigration

International Labour Emigration

International Labour Emigration in 2010

Russia:

1438 persons – total number 35,2% - work at primary education institutions. 46,5% - work in the sphere of building industry and production sector

The USA:

1253 persons – total number 93,4% - work in the service industry, commercial business, and public

catering

68,1% - persons at the age of 18-24 63,3% - 1-3 months contracts 15,8% - 3-6 months contracts

Objectives and goals of theState Migration Programfor the period 2006-2010

The State Migration Programme for the period 2006-2010 Objectives and goals

Perfection of the legislation with a view of management of migration processes on the basis of the system approach to migration problems Management efficiency increase by migration streams by achievement of conformity of their volumes, directions and structure to prospects of social and economic development of the country Regulation of immigration streams for the purpose of creation of the effective mechanism of restraint of natural loss in population Integration of migrants into the Belarus society and formation in relation to them tolerance Maintenance of national safety, strengthening of safety of frontier and observance of interests of the state in the conditions of development of migration processes

Objectives and goals of the National Programme of Demographic Safety of the Republic of Belarus for the period 2007-2010

(subprogram Optimization of migration processes)

The National Programme of Demographic Safety of the Republic of Belarus for the period 2007-2010

subprogram Optimization of migration process Objectives and goals

In the sphere of regulation of internal migration streams: stimulation of employers, including individual businessmen and heads of farms

is necessary, to creation of workplaces in areas with high outflow of the population and a critical condition of a labour market;

improvement of knowledge of the population about resettlement possibility on a new residence and a new place of work in the rural territories

In the sphere of regulation of external migration streams: maintenance of positive balance of an external migration; assistance to official registration of papers for entrance on a constant residence

to Belarus foreign citizens and persons without citizenship which have the bases for acquisition of citizenship of Belarus in the simplified order, and also the persons identifying as Belarusian;

assistance to social arrangement of immigrants, their integration into a Belarus society, realisations of their constitutional laws and freedom;

creation of economic conditions for reduction of emigration and preservation scientific and technical, intellectual and creative potential of the country;

stimulation of a reflexivity of external labour streams; realisation of measures on prevention and suppression of illegal migration

Thank you!

Vladimir FursInternational House Minsk (Belarus)

E-mail: vlad@ih.byhttp://www.ih.by