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“During all my career, I’ve written more than 400 articles about emigrants,” Lidia Graphova told her Armenian colleagues, “but many years of experience have nevertheless proved that only articles are not enough to force state bodies to get concerned with migration problems which are getting more an more urgent every day .”

In 1990 Graphova founded the first NGO in Russia dealing with migration matters and started providing help to the first emigrants, who were Armenians, arriving from Azerbaijan.

At present Graphova is cooperating with different NGOs aimed at solving migration questions. During the meeting in Yerevan she presented new migration bridges created through “New Eurasia” fund assets. Three countries have been chosen for the initial project – Armenia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan – as well as three regions in Russia – Stavropol, Volgograd and Sverdlovsk.

According to Graphova migration to Russia for permanent residence has reduced, whereas employment migration has become more prevalent. Russia itself loses 1 million people annually (through decline in birthrate). Siberia and the Far East, which make the bulk of Russia, the world’s largest country, are almost uninhabited and are situated near the China, itself already suffocating from population density. For these and other reasons, specialists like Graphova believe Russian authorities need to change their migration policy.

The representative of “New Eurasia” fund Yana Mirolyubova says: “After the crash of the Soviet Union, Russia took up the heavy burden of migration from South Caucasus, Baltic countries, Middle Asia and Kazakhstan. Illegal migration in the country is now 15 million. It is possible to buy citizenship in Russia, but getting it legally will cause a lot of difficulties. ”

Graphova thinks that in 2001 Russian migration policy changed 180 degrees for the worse.

“Migration problems regulation was given to the police, and the police did what it could, which was to fine at every step, essentially, in that way fighting against the problem. Last year the Security Council of Russia admitted that it was a wrong policy. A new concept is being developed now, but to realize it the stringent law on migration policy passed in 2002 must be reviewed, as that law was passed at the height of anti-terrorist psychosis, but life proved it’s of no help in the struggle against terrorism,” she says.

The Head of the Moscow Interracial Cooperation Center Ashot Hayrapetyan thinks that the Russian authorities do not have xenophobia in their attitude towards emigrants, especially from Caucasus and Middle Asia. Still, news reports show that racist hate group are on the increase in Russia.

Graphova and others say proper regulatory laws are essential.

The fund will grant half a million US dollars annually for the project performance. In the above-mentioned three regions of Russia, information centers for emigrants will be created to explain to representatives of Commonwealth of Independent States who arrive in Russia for either temporary or permanent residence what their rights are and help them to get settled without going through unnecessary bureaucracy. Morolyubova says many emigrants suffer needless paper work, simply because they do not know their rights and responsibilities.

In Armenia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan the fund will open similar centers which will provide those who intend to migrate to Russia with information about the situation at certain territories, the emigrant’s rights and prospects.