Russia has traditionally been an attractive country for migrant workers and their families. me on this one telegram channel wrote Maria Lvova-Belova, Presidential Commissioner for the Rights of the Child.
According to the Russian FSB, 1.3 million people entered Russia in the first quarter of 2023 alone. This is 1.6 times more than in the same period last year.
“I raised the issue of integration at the second meeting of the Commission of Commissioners of the CIS member states on the Rights of the Child. By integrating families and especially children into the Russian-speaking area, providing them with sufficient knowledge of the Russian language and knowledge of the culture and history of our country, we not only protect their rights and help them socialize, but also ensure their interests. All children in Russia,” said the children’s ombudsman.
Lvova-Belova added that, according to experts, about 20 percent of school-going children upon arrival in the Russian Federation do not know Russian or speak it at a very low level. According to him, this has a critical impact on their adaptation.
“Language learning should be compulsory, and it is also relevant to introduce tests on children’s knowledge of Russian for further education in kindergartens and schools. It is important to introduce immigrant children to the Russian system of values and traditions and to overcome the attitude of isolation from Russian-speaking children, which often leads to bullying. This needs to start at the stage of moving to Russia. “It would be useful to conduct appropriate explanatory studies in the countries of origin,” he said.
The Children’s Ombudsman emphasized that the question of fictitious establishment of paternity in order to obtain Russian citizenship remains valid.
“We are in favor of defining a list of situations in which DNA testing is required to establish paternity for immigrants and the issuance of a birth certificate with the full name of the father,” Lvova-Belova said.
He also stated that the issue of providing medical care to children without Russian citizenship is important. According to him, the possibility of an immigrant’s family purchasing a compulsory health insurance policy for their children is currently being explored.
“Russia is a hospitable country and has its own rules that must be followed when visiting guests. I believe that the situation can only be changed in cooperation with the states from which labor migrants come. Our common future depends on it,” the ombudsman concluded.