Abstract:

International migration stands out as one of the key global issues that has influenced the international relations system in the post-Cold War era. The Russian Federation (Russia) is also confronted with this agenda and compelled to develop policies on this matter. However, the national and international migration policies pursued by Russia are considered to function as instruments of its overall foreign policy. The study, conducted through qualitative research methodology, has been approached from a neorealist theoretical perspective. Within the study, Russia's migration policy has been examined in the context of traditional international relations concepts such as power, sovereignty, domination, security, and national interests. In this context, this study focuses on Russia's post-Cold War migration policy, assuming that Russia's grand strategy is multipolarity and its subordinate strategy is a power center-building policy. The study argues that Russia manages migration as a foreign policy tool and analyzes whether this foreign policy follows a trajectory toward power center-building. The assessments and examinations revealed that Russia instrumentalizes international migration, and based on this, the article asserts that Russia implements a power center-building policy through this means.

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