With global talent competition on the rise, countries strive to attract skilled individuals. However, the case of highly educated Russians fleeing after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine highlights that retaining human capital is not always straightforward. While “brain gain” migrants are valuable economic assets, they may also be perceived as security and political risks, leading to institutional restrictions and discrimination from local populations. This study, drawing on a unique longitudinal survey and qualitative evidence, examines the link between discrimination and integration, distinguishing between discrimination from local citizens and institutions. It explores how discrimination shapes language acquisition and the decision to leave the host country. Using a lagged regression, it demonstrates that discrimination increases the likelihood of migrants leaving while reducing the willingness to learn the local language for those who remain. The very countries benefiting most from Russian expatriates are losing them at the highest levels due to discrimination.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Ivetta Sergeeva is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University, based at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. She holds a PhD in Social and Political Sciences from the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence. She co-founded and co-led OutRush, a panel survey of Russian political migrants, initiated as both a personal and professional reaction to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Her research focuses on authoritarianism, civil society, and emigration, employing a mixed-methods approach that integrates surveys, experiments, and interviews. Beyond research, she has eight years of experience as a project coordinator in civil society and human rights initiatives, navigating the challenging environment of contemporary Russia.