FORCED MIGRATION AND DESTINATION CHOICE - ARMENIAN FORCED SETTLERS AND REFUGEES IN THE RUSSIAN-FEDERATION

Many analysts have criticized resettlement institutions for placing di splaced people in inappropriate and desolate areas. This article seeks to determine the extent to which the Russian Federal Migration Servic e (FMS) plays an active, systematic role in the placement of dislocate d peoples, focusing on refugees (bezhentsii) and forced settlers (pere selentsii) in the Russian Federation arriving from the Republic of Arm enia. Using data on regional-level forced migrations flows, we investi gate structural- and choice-based models for the prediction of settlem ent patterns. Findings indicate that variables associated with models of individual choice best predict the resettlement pattern for forced settlers and refugees from the Armenian Republic in the Russian Federa tion. Our findings question previously held assumptions regarding the meaning of refugee status and the influence of institutions on settlem ent location patterns.