This chapter introduces the main questions of this book: access to justice and realization of human rights in the context of global developments in immigration and refugee law, and migrants and refugees' relationship with the legal system of the host country. The chapter consists of three parts: it focuses on the everyday experiences of immigration and refugee laws and how these different legal frameworks work ‘in action’ in Russia and the gaps in the literature that this book addresses. Second, it offers an exhaustive explanation for the methodological approach adopted in this book. Third, it provides a contextual synopsis and overview of all the chapters.