Voice after Exit?: Exploring Patterns of Civic Activism among Russian Migrant Communities in Eurasia after 24 February 2022

Can citizens continue to participate in the politics of their home country after migrating to another country? Many examples exist of migrants engaging in their country of origin’s political affairs, such as expatriate voting, forming political communities and hometown associations, donating money to political move­ments and politicians, advocating for migrants’ rights, and other forms of political participation. However, it remains unclear why migrants are willing to continue exercising their ‘voice’ after ‘exit’, and what the main challenges and obstacles are for them to do so while abroad. In this chapter, we analyse the patterns of civic and political engagement among Russian migrants who fled their home country following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Drawing on scholarship in migration studies, we view exit and voice not as mutually exclusive but as mutually reinforcing alternatives. We argue that the way migrants connect with their homeland, and particularly the connections they have with their employers, plays a crucial role in mobilizing and demobilizing them. The incentives provided by employers may force migrants to damp their propensity to engage in political activities. To sup­port our argument, we rely on an original survey conducted in March–April and September 2022, as well as semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted in Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, and Türkiye.