MOSCOW - Most Russians (75 percent) have no wish to take permanent residence outside the former Soviet Union yet 19 percent are thinking about emigration, Levada Center told Interfax.
Only 1 percent said they had started to do emigration-related paperwork, and another 1 percent ‘was determined to leave’.
Seven percent ‘are thinking on possible departure’, and 16 percent ‘sometimes feel like’ changing the country of their residence.
As many as 73 percent of 800 respondents polled in 137 populated localities in 48 regions of Russia on May 27-30 said they had never pondered on leaving their homeland.
Some 42 percent of the respondents who had given a thought to changing their place of residence said they wished ‘a better life and convenience’, and 41 percent wished to ‘escape’ from economic instability (that was the highest percentage since March 2013, 32 percent).
Over a quarter of the respondents (28 percent) said they were thinking about resettlement for the sake of ‘a worthy and reliable future of their children’ and 17 percent complained about ‘the lack of protection from arbitrary actions of the authorities, officials.’
Fourteen percent are attracted by the opportunity of quality medical service, and 11 percent explained their thoughts with business climate in Russia and the political situation in the country.
Ten percent of the respondents mulling over emigration said that Russia did not provide an opportunity for professional growth, 9 percent mentioned crime, terrorism and threat to life, and 7 percent referred to family circumstances, residence of family members in a foreign country.
Fifty percent of the respondents said they felt neutral about many fellow citizens spending their vacation, buying property, having bank accounts and sending their children to schools abroad. A quarter (26 percent) hailed that fact and said it was completely normal. Some 23 percent expressed negative sentiments and irritation.
