Managed Temporary Labor Migration: Case of Armenia and Russia

Annotation
For a country such as Armenia, shifts in population flows have significant long lasting implications on the economy and society. By assessing the most common and pertinent forms of labor migration across the world [specifically looking at examples of the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan – countries with established labor migration regimes] and identifying actors involved in the migration process this study unveils the socioeconomic significance of labor migration as a precursor to outright migration that is deemed to be one of the factors inhibiting Armenia’s development. Although social and economic processes are considered to move in tandem and should be studied as such, the paper argues that economic considerations exert primary influence on migratory decisions and geography. As such, an economic analysis framework of the labor migration processes is presented, encompassing the legal and social issues involved. Introducing a model for the temporary labor migration regime, the paper makes a strong argument in favor of instituting government-sponsored programs [state-managed regime] in Armenia with active Diaspora participation. In light of this the case of Russia, the main destination for the temporary labor migrants from Armenia, is of particular interest given established economic, social, cultural, political links between the two countries and Russia’s strong Armenian Diaspora – the oldest and largest in the world. It is crucial to remember that this paper is not looking into the political ramifications related to the sensitive issue of labor migration, but proposes a possible way out of the current economic stalemate.