A survey was conducted in Russia regarding relocants

There is no consensus among Russians about whether the state should encourage the return of specialists who have left. This is evidenced by the results of a survey by the Russian Field research group, conducted on behalf of the Dubravsky Consulting company. Approximately equal numbers of respondents spoke for and against the authorities taking appropriate measures. At the same time, 20% of respondents believe that relocants should in principle be prohibited from returning home.

A telephone survey on the attitude of Russians to hypothetical measures to return departed specialists was conducted from October 21 to October 29, the sample included 1,611 people. Those who commissioned the study explain its necessity by saying that “mostly the signals that are now being sent to relocants are purely negative.” “It was important to understand how society feels about this and whether there is a request for different communication and a campaign for the return of compatriots from abroad,” media technologist at Dubravsky Consulting Yulia Bobrova told Kommersant.

Respondents were asked the question: “Over the past two years, a significant number of specialists have left Russia: do you think the state should or should not take measures for their return?” 43% of respondents were in favor of such measures: 39% believed that the authorities should do this “with the help of positive incentives” (special programs, payments), and 4% were in favor of “negative incentives” (increasing taxes for non-residents, the threat of inability to return in the future ). 28% of respondents were against any motivating policy towards those who left, and another 20% expressed the opinion that relocants should be completely prohibited from returning to their homeland.

The authors of the survey emphasize that respondents with higher education were more likely to support taking measures to bring back specialists who left (46% versus 36% without it). Sociologists have also noted an age correlation: the share of those who believe that relocants should, in principle, be prohibited from returning home, grows as respondents grow older (from 14% in the category “18–29 years old” to 25% in the category “60 and older”). At the same time, the ban on return finds more support among low-income Russians (21% versus 18% among wealthy ones).

The split in the audience on the question asked did not surprise those who commissioned the study. “The results obtained rather confirmed our hypothesis: there is no single position on the part of society on this issue,” stated Yulia Bobrova. She also recalled that a unified message for those who left has not yet been formed in the public space, and therefore “many do not understand whether they can return, whether it is safe.”

Ms. Bobrova explained the polarity of opinions by saying that the topic “remains outside the brackets” in the media space: “Society has not fully understood how to treat these people.” However, the analyst believes, in any case, the state must set the trend: “Much in the public reaction depends on whether it will be a single signal at all levels of government or scattered, as it is now.”

Let us recall that in the State Duma the topic of Russians who left was last actively discussed in October at the instigation of Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin. “Anyone who left the country and committed vile acts, rejoicing at the shots fired on the territory of the Russian Federation, wishing victory for the Nazi bloody Kiev regime, must realize that not only are they not waiting for him here, but if he comes here, Magadan is guaranteed for him,” said Mr. Volodin at the Duma meeting on October 10. And the next day he clarified that in Magadan “traitors and scoundrels” will not be welcome: “Those who transferred money and financed the Nazi regime must answer according to the law, those who called for the victory of the Nazi bloody regime must answer according to the law.” . This position was shared by presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov: “The Duma speaker spoke about those who took a pronounced anti-Russian position and sided with the Kyiv regime. Yes, indeed, we are not on the same path with these people.”

Political scientist Ilya Grashchenkov points out that disagreements on the issue of the return of relocants are based on society’s perception of them either as “traitors” or as “pragmatic people.” “The results were rather encouraging,” says the expert. “In general, people understand everything and are determined that their friends and relatives will return, just like good specialists.” Those who oppose it generally do not think rationally, but “transfer aggression onto those who have left,” because “they want to label someone as ‘enemies of the people,’” Mr. Grashchenkov believes. In his opinion, the relocants “need to be given a clear signal” to return and, in particular, convince them that nothing threatens them at home, “and all the “hot heads” cursing them are not the official authorities, but marginal groups playing on the side of archaizers and isolationists.”

Grigory Leiba