Guest Editor’s Introduction. New economic and migratory trends in the Baltic Sea region during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The articles in this special issue explore different types of migration processes in the countries of the Eurasian region and the EU amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The spread of the coronavirus and the ensuing closure of borders have caused a dramatic transformation in regional migration and economy. Many migrants were stranded: they could neither leave the country of employment nor return home. Having lost their jobs and sources of income, they turned into a highly vulnerable group. The countries the Baltic Sea region have a special place in Europe. With the exception of Russia, they are members of the EFTA and the EU — the alliances that benefit from a visa-free travel regime, unimpeded movement of people, a common labour market, and unrestricted labour mobility. The populations of the Baltics are different: 1.32 m people in Estonia, 1.9 m in Latvia, and 2.8 m in Lithuania (2019) with their geographical smallness (the area of each of the countries does not exceed that of any German or an average Russian region), limited labour markets, and few employment opportunities complicate the situation of migrants in these countries. Russia is the destination for a significant proportion of migrants, including those seeking employment. The state has a visa-free regime with the CIS and a common labour market with its fellow members of the Eurasian Economic Union.