Although the Arctic generally offers harsh climatic conditions and higher living costs, people still migrate to the region. We examine the economic and social aspects that stimulate migration to the North and can serve as a foundation for future migration programmes, publicity campaigns, and increasing the appeal of Arctic imagery.
The Arctic Century has previously discussed the topic of Arctic strategies aimed at retaining youth and specialists in the North and their effectiveness. Based on these examples, it can be summarised that the Russian strategy (particularly in the Murmansk Region) has a more economic focus, comprising discounts and various economic benefits, while some Western strategies, such as those in Norway (Tromsø) and Finland (Rovaniemi), are more culture-oriented.
Currently, statistics regarding the Murmansk strategy maintains relatively good performance, as the region has managed to reverse negative demographic trends. Nevertheless, there are still many opportunities to expand programmes. An interesting approach is to take an individual perspective, promoting the Arctic on a more personal level, in contrast to conventional collective programmes.
The interview-based 2023 research by Adams Ria-Maria investigates youth migration to Finnish Lapland. The study addresses a category of so-called ‘lifestyle migrants’ who move to the North in search of ‘a good life’: to interact with nature, witness the northern lights, and generally pursue a calmer lifestyle.
Notably, the term ‘lifestyle migrants’ was previously used primarily to describe older individuals relocating to more southern regions. Now this trend has gained a new dimension. Based on this study, we can highlight some key factors that attract young people to northern Finland:
There is also a certain spiritual aspect to this type of migration, reminiscent of Theodore Dreiser’s character in The Stoic, who moved to India in search of purpose. In 2019 research by Mari Korpela, this phenomenon is referred to as ‘neo-nomadism’, describing the high mobility of affluent youth migrating in search of meaning.
Despite not being proficient in Finnish, facing higher living costs, and feeling ‘lonely and misunderstood’, respondents in Adams’ study still viewed their relocation as a conscious choice and appeared satisfied with their new lives.
From an economic standpoint, Finnish Lapland provides a convenient starting point for integrating into regional life. The tourist infrastructure is well-developed and urbanised, allowing lifestyle migrants to pursue their goal of interacting with nature while also earning a living, thus establishing a smoother process of social integration.
Notably, many respondents initially lived in Finland temporarily while studying at Finnish universities but sought ways to extend their stay, effectively making the Arctic their permanent residence.
In this context, education emerges as a primary incentive for attracting youth to the North and serves as a relatively low threshold, while developed tourist infrastructure helps retain lifestyle migrants.
Although it should be mentioned that this is relevant only as a convenient economic gateway for new population, while in terms of education’s quality Finland has seen a certain decline, as “nearly 14 percent of youngsters lack sufficient reading skills to cope with everyday situations”, and the countries experiences growing educational gap between social stratas, according to Yle.
Although the Russian North offers similar opportunities in terms of climate and nature, as well as greater legal freedom regarding interaction with nature, this personal approach to attracting youth is not fully utilised. The image of the Arctic is often presented as industrial and collective rather than appealing to individuals.
Surprisingly, Soviet image-building was quite different; it initially appealed to individuals and resulted in notable novels, poems, and songs.
Let us briefly overview existing social mechanisms on a federal scale:
However, the main problem becomes evident when comparing this situation with that of Finnish Lapland. In terms of tourism, while Lapland is urbanised and has a more centralised infrastructure, tourism in the Murmansk Region and the north of Karelia revolves primarily around smaller towns. Although these smaller towns are attractive due to their pristine nature, they may lack infrastructure that youth could rely on—such as job opportunities and ready business solutions.
As for education serving as a primary incentive, major universities are located in larger urban centres like Petrozavodsk and Murmansk. This fact draws a significant number of young people into urban environments. This generates a contradictory situation in which regions of the North with great economic potential on the periphery do not attempt to unload the centres. As a result, economically active population retains in the centres, and the general fading trend of the periphery continues.
In conclusion, this experience could be applied in various contexts across the Arctic—not just in Russia. In practice, harnessing this spiritual aspect of the Arctic to attract youth means focusing on developing infrastructure in smaller towns and encouraging people to utilise it. Existing initiatives indeed provide opportunities regarding housing and financing; however, the main obstacle remains in inadequate infrastructure.
Such an approach towards strategic development would help leverage the Jack London effect in the North diversifying resource economies. Russia is currently taking such steps at a federal level through master plans; for example, Dikson’s proposal as a tourist centre illustrates this effort but it once again lacks personal engagement and lists only as a ‘2b’ plan of development.
Russia’s advantage here, compared to Nordic countries, is that there’s less social tension and discriminatory situations with migrants in the Arctic. The social sphere also wouldn’t experience the same strain as in Finland, Sweden and Norway overwhelmed by refugee flows throughout this decade.
An interesting area for development to look into is remote work within sectors such as information technology. If presented effectively, this would allow youth greater choice over where they live.
In other words, modernity calls for a shift in approach: currently, states attract youth to work in the North; however, from a publicity standpoint focused on overall satisfaction with one’s living conditions, it would be much more appealing for individuals to live in the North whilst choosing their place of work.
Of course, these measures would be more effective with proper advertising efforts aimed at building a positive public image of the Arctic that appeals to individuals—meaning there should be greater representation of Arctic themes on social media.
Dmitry Tarasov
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