ABSTRACT
Regional variation in the implementation of migration policy, however, is more than a direct reflection of the size or nature of the phenomenon in a particular region. The unitary system of migration services headed by the Federal Migration Service in Moscow described in Chapter 4 leaves considerable scope for the formulation in practice of very different regional approaches to the resettlement of forced migrants and refugees. This chapter begins with a brief discussion of two regions where migration has become an important local political issue leading to the declaration of ‘emergency’ measures to resolve perceived acute problems. It then compares and contrasts two regions of Russia with non-exceptional situations to illustrate the ways in
which regional administrations work migration policy into their own distinct political agendas, and the implications this has for returnees.
