Democratization: Migration/Freedom of Movement ODIHR Migration Officer Nadzeya Zhukava (left) discusses the situation of migrant workers in Russia with Ibragim Abdulaev of the Tajik Labour Ministry in Yekaterinburg, Russia, December 2004. Russia continues to be the main destination for migrant workers in the former Soviet Union, including a growing number integration. The implementation of registration systems that do not restrict freedom of movement is therefore the first step in the development and improvement of integration policies that ensure the protection of human rights of migrants and their efficient and harmonious integration, and would benefit both the receiving society and migrants. A Human Dimension Seminar on migration and integration of migrants by receiving countries was organized by the ODIHR in 2005, in co-operation with the Slovenian Chairmanship of the OSCE. The seminar provided a forum for an exchange of ideas and lessons learned, as well as for discussions on migration issues and on actions that states, NGOs, trade unions, migrant organizations, and other non-governmental institutions can take to improve the protection of the human rights of migrants and to facilitate their integration. Particular attention was paid to integration as a two-way process that affects both the newcomers and the host population. Participants indicated the need for changes in the receiving society in this process, as well as the responsibility of public institutions to take steps to open societies to newcomers, enabling them to participate fully in political, social, cultural, and economic life. There was general consensus among the seminar’s participants that both sending and receiving countries can benefit from migration if they take positive steps to combat discrimination and acts of intolerance against migrants and ensure that conditions are created for them to integrate without losing their identities. Participants called on OSCE participating States to cooperate on migration management and to iden- ANNUAL REPORT 2005 OSCE from Central Asia. tify applicable and effective measures to facilitate the integration of migrants; they also called on OSCE institutions to strengthen initiatives on inter-state co-operation in search of mutually beneficial solutions. II. Cross-border migration Promoting interstate co-operation on labour migration, migration-related information, and human rights of migrants Changes to the demographic, economic, and social structures in post-Soviet countries mean that some of these countries have a need for foreign workers and professionals, while others are experiencing economic decline and high unemployment rates. Over the last decade, the Russian Federation has become the main destination country for migrant workers in the region, mostly citizens of the countries of the former Soviet Union, including a growing number from Central Asia. Findings by Russian population experts clearly demonstrate that immigration to Russia is inevitable and indispensable for a growing economy faced with a decreasing population. Most of the migrant workers in the Russian Federation are irregular migrants. Due to strict regulations, most migrant workers end up living without registration and without rights to legal employment. The improvement of migra- 43