Olga Zeveleva | Utrecht University (original) (raw)

Articles, peer-reviewed by Olga Zeveleva

This paper is based on a study which compares repatriation policies of Germany, Russia and Kazakh... more This paper is based on a study which compares repatriation policies of Germany, Russia and Kazakhstan The choice of cases is based on a “most similar case design.” The Russian case results in unsuccessful and unsustainable repatriation, the German case exhibits a change from sustainable repatriation to a slow termination of the program, while the case of Kazakhstan is one of sustainable and relatively successful repatriation. The main argument of the paper is that in order for a repatriation program to be sustainable, the program must contain both a practical component and an ideological component. If a repatriation program lacks ideological backing which permeates other aspects of political life in a state, the repatriation program grinds to a halt. If a repatriation program has ideological backing, but is rendered impractical and does not meet the economic, demographic and labor market needs of a state, then the further development of the program stops. The findings of this study merit further reflection on issues of changing national identities, on the transnational essence of migration pathways, and on the “post-Soviet condition” which has set the stage for all of the aforementioned processes and transformations.

Chapters in books by Olga Zeveleva

Rückkehr in die Fremde?: Ethnische Remigration russlanddeutscher Spätaussiedler (2014)

This paper is based on a study which compares repatriation policies of Germany, Russia, and Kazak... more This paper is based on a study which compares repatriation policies of Germany, Russia, and Kazakhstan. The choice of cases is based on a “most similar case design.” The Russian case results in unsuccessful and unsustainable repatriation, the German case exhibits a change from sustainable repatriation to a slow termination of the program, while the case of Kazakhstan is one of sustainable and relatively successful repatriation. The main argument of the paper is that in order for a repatriation program to be sustainable, the program must contain both a practical component and an ideological component. If a repatriation program lacks ideological backing which permeates other aspects of political life in a state, then the repatriation program grinds to a halt. If a repatriation program has ideological backing, but is rendered impractical and does not meet the economic, demographic and labor market needs of a state, then the further development of the program stops. Yet this paper also shows that governments will constantly find themselves struggling with repatriation programs because there is a need to adjust them to an ever-changing political, social and economic reality both within and outside of the state, while the programs themselves are often cumbersome and resistant to reform. The findings of this study merit further reflection on issues of changing national identities, on transnational migration pathways, and on the “post-Soviet condition” which has set the stage for all of the aforementioned processes and transformations.

Book Reviews by Olga Zeveleva

In the media by Olga Zeveleva

Photo series published on Oxford's Border Criminologies research blog

New York Times Op-Ed: According to a law that took effect in August, all Russians living withi... more New York Times Op-Ed:

According to a law that took effect in August, all Russians living within the country’s borders who hold foreign passports or permanent residence permits of other nations were required to register with the Federal Migration Service (F.M.S.) by Oct. 4. (Dual citizens residing outside of Russia were required to register upon their next visit.) Concealing another citizenship would result in a fine of up to 200,000 rubles (over $5,000), or up to 400 hours of community service. The deadline has now come and gone, and the F.M.S. reports that over 50,000 people have registered.

Papers by Olga Zeveleva

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

This paper investigates the discursive construction of co-ethnic migration in German society. Tak... more This paper investigates the discursive construction of co-ethnic migration in German
society. Taking a biographical study on ethnic Germans from the former Soviet Union as
a starting point, the author traces co-ethnic immigrant pathways in German society and
analyzes the legal frameworks, institutions, and organizations encountered by these
migrants. The author employs a critical discourse analysis approach to texts relating to a
camp where newly arriving immigrants live and undergo registration. The article
proposes a new way of researching discursive construction, using biographical interviews
as a starting point for identifying “localities of discourse” which are important to the
group in question. Such an approach allows us to find relevant sources of discourse in a
way that is grounded in empirical material, and subsequently to account for which
discourses are appropriated by members of certain social groups, such as co-ethnic
migrants. The article thus builds a bridge between biographical sociology and critical
discourse analysis, using the former as a point of departure for framing the selection of
materials for implementing the latter. The article makes a methodological contribution by
introducing the concept “locality of discourse” as a bridge between biographical
sociology and critical discourse analysis. The author also makes an empirical contribution
by examining a border transit camp in Germany as a “locality of discourse” and showing
how the camp informs our understanding of the place of co-ethnic migrants in German
society.

This paper is based on a study which compares repatriation policies of Germany, Russia and Kazakh... more This paper is based on a study which compares repatriation policies of Germany, Russia and Kazakhstan The choice of cases is based on a “most similar case design.” The Russian case results in unsuccessful and unsustainable repatriation, the German case exhibits a change from sustainable repatriation to a slow termination of the program, while the case of Kazakhstan is one of sustainable and relatively successful repatriation. The main argument of the paper is that in order for a repatriation program to be sustainable, the program must contain both a practical component and an ideological component. If a repatriation program lacks ideological backing which permeates other aspects of political life in a state, the repatriation program grinds to a halt. If a repatriation program has ideological backing, but is rendered impractical and does not meet the economic, demographic and labor market needs of a state, then the further development of the program stops. The findings of this study merit further reflection on issues of changing national identities, on the transnational essence of migration pathways, and on the “post-Soviet condition” which has set the stage for all of the aforementioned processes and transformations.

Rückkehr in die Fremde?: Ethnische Remigration russlanddeutscher Spätaussiedler (2014)

This paper is based on a study which compares repatriation policies of Germany, Russia, and Kazak... more This paper is based on a study which compares repatriation policies of Germany, Russia, and Kazakhstan. The choice of cases is based on a “most similar case design.” The Russian case results in unsuccessful and unsustainable repatriation, the German case exhibits a change from sustainable repatriation to a slow termination of the program, while the case of Kazakhstan is one of sustainable and relatively successful repatriation. The main argument of the paper is that in order for a repatriation program to be sustainable, the program must contain both a practical component and an ideological component. If a repatriation program lacks ideological backing which permeates other aspects of political life in a state, then the repatriation program grinds to a halt. If a repatriation program has ideological backing, but is rendered impractical and does not meet the economic, demographic and labor market needs of a state, then the further development of the program stops. Yet this paper also shows that governments will constantly find themselves struggling with repatriation programs because there is a need to adjust them to an ever-changing political, social and economic reality both within and outside of the state, while the programs themselves are often cumbersome and resistant to reform. The findings of this study merit further reflection on issues of changing national identities, on transnational migration pathways, and on the “post-Soviet condition” which has set the stage for all of the aforementioned processes and transformations.

Photo series published on Oxford's Border Criminologies research blog

New York Times Op-Ed: According to a law that took effect in August, all Russians living withi... more New York Times Op-Ed:

According to a law that took effect in August, all Russians living within the country’s borders who hold foreign passports or permanent residence permits of other nations were required to register with the Federal Migration Service (F.M.S.) by Oct. 4. (Dual citizens residing outside of Russia were required to register upon their next visit.) Concealing another citizenship would result in a fine of up to 200,000 rubles (over $5,000), or up to 400 hours of community service. The deadline has now come and gone, and the F.M.S. reports that over 50,000 people have registered.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

This paper investigates the discursive construction of co-ethnic migration in German society. Tak... more This paper investigates the discursive construction of co-ethnic migration in German
society. Taking a biographical study on ethnic Germans from the former Soviet Union as
a starting point, the author traces co-ethnic immigrant pathways in German society and
analyzes the legal frameworks, institutions, and organizations encountered by these
migrants. The author employs a critical discourse analysis approach to texts relating to a
camp where newly arriving immigrants live and undergo registration. The article
proposes a new way of researching discursive construction, using biographical interviews
as a starting point for identifying “localities of discourse” which are important to the
group in question. Such an approach allows us to find relevant sources of discourse in a
way that is grounded in empirical material, and subsequently to account for which
discourses are appropriated by members of certain social groups, such as co-ethnic
migrants. The article thus builds a bridge between biographical sociology and critical
discourse analysis, using the former as a point of departure for framing the selection of
materials for implementing the latter. The article makes a methodological contribution by
introducing the concept “locality of discourse” as a bridge between biographical
sociology and critical discourse analysis. The author also makes an empirical contribution
by examining a border transit camp in Germany as a “locality of discourse” and showing
how the camp informs our understanding of the place of co-ethnic migrants in German
society.