Migration policy of the modern state: economic and demographic approach

Migration policy today is one of the most significant areas of research in public governance, as globalization processes and economic crises generate mass population movements that require comprehensive regulation. The demographic issues faced by developed countries—such as an aging population and a declining working-age cohort—transform migration flows into a strategic resource, although their utilization remains a subject of intense debate among researchers. Consequently, migration processes are gaining increasing importance in the modern world, significantly affecting economic development, demographic situations, and social stability in states. This influence is particularly evident in countries that serve as recipients of migration flows. Formulating an effective migration policy for such countries is not merely a component of public governance but a strategic necessity that requires a deep understanding of economic and demographic patterns. The economic-demographic approach allows for the identification of key factors that determine the nature and direction of migration policy. Methodologically, this research relies on systemic, institutional, and comparative approaches, enabling a comprehensive analysis of the migration system of the modern state using the example of the Russian Federation, as well as a comparison of the economic and demographic components of external migration. In this regard, the theoretical foundation of the research is based on the economic theory of migration and the human capital migration theory. The novelty of the study lies in the identification of the features of applying the economic and demographic approach at the current stage of implementing state migration policy in the Russian Federation, expressed in the need to develop a set of measures aimed at stimulating the influx of economically demanded foreign migrants, primarily labor migrants, while simultaneously countering illegal migration and other national security risks to ensure harmonious interaction between foreign citizens and the host society, as well as to maintain harmonious interethnic relations. The complex influence of economic and demographic factors on the formation of migration policy is reflected in the necessity of considering numerous interrelated aspects. On one hand, migration policy should be aimed at attracting labor resources to compensate for demographic losses and meet the needs of the economy.