Central Asian Foreign Laborers Experience Backlash Over Migration in Light of Moscow's Terrorism Incident
After the violence at the Crocus City Hall entertainment complex in March, a wave of clampdown on migrant workers swept across Russia. The terror attack set off a chain reaction of mass arrests and expulsions of foreign workers.
On March 22nd, Russia suffered its most deadly terrorist attack in the last 20 years, taking the lives of 144 individuals. In the wake of the tragedy, authorities identified four main suspects as citizens of Tajikistan. This marked the onset of heightened migrant prejudice within the nation.
In many cities, foreign workers have faced blatant discrimination and even physical assault, as reported by various media accounts. Some migrants reported waiting over 24 hours at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport for entry clearance, with no explanation offered by the authorities even for travelers with valid documents.
Police raids were carried out in cities across the country, targeting locations where large groups of migrants reside and work. Special police squads were deployed to verify foreigners' documents at hostels, and on highways.
Over a week-long period from March 23rd-29th, Moscow courts handled 1,493 cases related to the alleged illegal entry of migrants, mostly with Central Asian surnames. In St. Petersburg, 515 judicial proceedings took place against suspected illegal migrants, leading to deportation orders in 466 instances. Of those facing deportation, 418 were subjected to "forced deportation" with detention, and 48 individuals were given "controlled independent departure."
Regarding human rights, lawyer Valentina Chupik stated she has received over 8,500 inquiries from foreigners in Russia since the March attack, with 60% associated with illegal detentions. Police tactics were condemned as "organized Nazism," with random acts of violence perpetrated against detainees and arbitrary deportations on the rise.
The authorities are focusing on individuals with Asian features, even those who are Russian citizens from autonomous regions like Yakutia and Kalmykia found themselves targeted amid the security sweep. Some were held incommunicado, according to friends and family members of those in custody.
Russian Interior Ministry recently proposed a bill reducing the temporary stay period for foreigners from twice to half the year (from 180 days to 90 days out of a 365-day period). The ministry also plans to establish a single database containing digital profiles, including photos and biometric data, of all migrants.
Sergei Mironov, head of the "A Just Russia-For Truth" faction in the State Duma, pushes for the government to abolish visa-free travel for Central Asian states, citing concerns about national security. However, it's unlikely that the proposed restriction will take effect, as it counters Russia's need for Central Asian states to serve as a back door for trade, circumventing Western sanctions and sustaining military capabilities.
Despite the tightened regulations, Chupik anticipates that economic demands will eventually outweigh other factors, resulting in a relaxing of the crackdown in the coming months. In parts, this is due to Russia's demographic challenge and severe labor shortage. "If they establish a visa regime, there will be no one to work for them at all," Chupik noted. "Introducing a visa regime means protecting the border, but who will guard it? The border with Kazakhstan is almost unpatrolled."
While the crackdown may ease, public attitudes might remain unyielding. Accounts of random beatings have been reported across the country. In Blagoveshchensk, a 43-year old migrant named Rakhmon described being assaulted by young thugs near his apartment building. The fear of police repercussions prevented him from reporting the incident.
Tajik nationals appear to bear the brunt of the wave of prejudice, with instances of landlords pressuring Tajik tenants to vacate their dwellings. Many are seeking means to return to their homeland, while potential labor migrants in Tajikistan are reconsidering their plans. An official at Tajikistan's Ministry of Labor reported that in the weeks following the Moscow attack, more people are coming home to Tajikistan than leaving.
- General-news outlets reported an increase in discrimination and physical assault against foreign workers, particularly migrants, in the wake of the terror attack at the Crocus City Hall entertainment complex in Russia.
- Following the attack, authorities in Russia focused on individuals with Asian features, even those who are Russian citizens, in their security sweeps and crackdown on migrant workers across the country.
- The proposed bill by the Russian Interior Ministry aims to reduce the temporary stay period for foreigners from twice to half the year and establish a single database containing digital profiles, including photos and biometric data, of all migrants.
- The wave of prejudice against migrants, particularly those from Central Asian countries, has led to instances of landlords pressuring Tajik tenants to vacate their dwellings and a increase in Tajik nationals seeking to return to their homeland.
