DOES EDUCATION HELP ENSURE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF MIGRANTS' SOCIAL STRATA

The purpose of this paper is to consider the challenges and prospects of different levels of education in the context of social work with migrants. This paper contains the results of a research obtained during the implementation of the Russian-Swiss project "Creating a model of a multifunctional centre of competitions in social work with migrants under conditions of their growing flow in Russia and Switzerland to mitigate threats to society, economy, the state”, Empirically the research is based on analysis of expert interviews on the current situation and prospects of social work with migrants. The Russian and Swiss team conducted interviews with experts in the field of migration in Geneva, Moscow, Kazan, St. Petersburg, Hamburg. Classical sociological interviews were supplemented with consultations with experts. The study is at a pilot stage, but we can already draw some preliminary conclusions.

We understand migrants in the broadest sense of the word, according to the definition of the International Organization for Migration.

Migrants are a diversified social stratum within which social groups with different levels of life, education, income and social benefits are distinguished. They have different degrees of integration into the host society. Regardless of which category migrants belong, all of them have some degree of need for education. A significant part of the organizations (special schools, centers etc.) that provide assistance to migrants and social work with them offer also educational services.

The research questions of our expert survey are as follows. In what degree educational services offered by state and local institutions, public and private organisations and social services do they correspond contemporary needs of migrants?

The paper highlights the following preliminary results obtained in the frameworks of our study. What factors determine the set of educational services offered to migrants. What factors determine the needs of migrants in certain types of education. Has there been a balance between the existing educational activities and the living needs of migrants. What types of education are most needed for migrants. Does pre-immigration education help to integrate into the host society. Whether the education offered to migrants is a factor in the advancement of migrants up the social ladder.