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Вдали от государства: отходники и власть в современной России
Internal return migrant workers (modern seasonal workers, or “otkhodniks”) are relatively new, but already a mass phenomenon in Russia. We estimate the number of otkhodniks in Russia now in 15-20 million working-age population. This category of migrant workers exists outside the public administration system, primarily occupying the sector of “gray economy”. The bodies of state and municipal authorities had not yet formed any definite relationship with them. Any management solutions have not been established. There are no management decisions on regulation of otkhodnichestvo working. There is no regulatory framework. The article, based on field studies in 40 Russian regions and empirical data for the 77 municipalities, is considered the problem of interaction between the government and migrant workers in three aspects: (1) the ratio of otkhodniks to power, (2) forms and types of interactions between the otkhodniks and the authorities, (3) the political significance of modern otkhodniks. The otkhodniks are eliminated completely from the government. They refuse to interact with the government and local self-government. There is no cooperation between the authorities and this category of migrant workers. The authorities underestimate the economic and political importance of modern otkhodniks. All this creates significant social and political threats and risks for the public administration system.
Keywords: returnable work migration; Russian internal work migration – otkhodnichestvo; otkhodnik; self-employment; small entrepreneurship; shadow economy; public administration; local society; municipal government; local society-government interaction; political activity; social tension.