ABSTRACT
Since 1992, Russia has been an active participant of international migration flows. After seventy years of tight restrictions on cross-border population movements during the Soviet period, the country was re-opened to international migration. Russia has experienced immigration in its full diversity, including permanent, temporary, regular, irregular, labour, study, circular and transit immigration. The most numerous migration flows have come to Russia from the former Soviet republics which gained sovereignty in 1991. A visa-free entry regime in the Commonwealth of Independent States [CIS] territory1 has facilitated cross-border population movements. Simultaneously, economic progress in Russia has attracted international migrants from neighbouring states, both for permanent residence and temporary work.
