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International Migration News - Volume #8 | |
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Russia, Eastern Europe
Russia. Russia's population is shrinking by 0.5 percent or 750,000 a year, the fastest decline in the world, and the Economic Development and Trade Minister projected that the Russian population could decline from 145 million in 2000 to 121 million in 2050. The fertility rate- the average number of children per woman- fell from 1.9 in 1990 to 1.2 in 2000. The major reason why women say they do not want children is lack of money to raise them, followed by widespread uncertainty due to divorce- about 60 percent of marriages end in divorce, up from 40 percent in 1990. Some experts recommend that Russia recruit workers from ex-USSR countries. The governor general for the Central Federal district proposed establishing special migrant camps outside Moscow and St. Petersburg for up to 100,000 migrants. The residents would be able to live in the camps for six months and find permanent work in Moscow and St. Petersburg or return to their homes. The hope is that migrants would fill unpopular jobs, including street sweepers and policemen. Another proposal is to create new cities with factories and recruit migrants to work in them. The Migration Policy Ministry proposed new cities in sparsely settled regions such as Siberia to be staffed by migrants. However, companies in Siberia said there were enough people to fill jobs. The director of the CIS Executive Committee for economic analysis said that up to six million migrants, most illegal, from CIS states are currently working in Russia. Romania. Former Communist Ion Iliescu, who led Romania's 1989 revolution against Nicolae Ceausescu and served as president between 1990 and 1996, was re-elected to be President in December 2000. Iliescu promised "to accelerate Romania's integration into the European Union and NATO."
Michael Wines, "For All
Russia, Biological Clock Is Running Out," New York Times,
December 27, 2000. | |
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