Photo: radiosputnik.ru
Following the March 2024 terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall in the Moscow region, migrant workers from Central Asia have increasingly faced harassment and violence in Russia, according to a report by the international human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) titled «Living in Fear and Humiliation."
The report states that citizens of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan are subjected to strict administrative restrictions, ethnic profiling, and persecution by law enforcement agencies, far-right groups, and even private individuals.
«After the Crocus City Hall attack, Russian authorities intensified pressure, fueling racist and anti-migrant sentiments in society. The Russian government should condemn all manifestations of xenophobia, including those from its own officials, and ensure full protection of migrants' rights,» the report states.
HRW emphasized that Russia’s economy heavily relies on migrant labor. Despite this, authorities have introduced new regulations that complicate and, in some cases, violate migrants' rights. For example, new legal amendments now allow police to deport foreigners without a court order. Additionally, migrant children are required to prove proficiency in the Russian language to enroll in schools. Several Russian regions have banned migrants from working in education, trade, social services, public transport, culture, and entertainment sectors.
The report also highlights the emergence of a new wave of ultranationalists since the start of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, leading to coordinated attacks on Central Asian men. At the same time, migrants and naturalized Russian citizens from Central Asia are increasingly being targeted for military recruitment. Arbitrary detentions and threats of deportation are commonly used to force them into military service.
«Human Rights Watch has presented its findings to the relevant authorities in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Russia. The government of Kyrgyzstan was the only one to respond,» HRW noted.
Earlier, Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) reported that 1,684 naturalized individuals were stripped of Russian citizenship in 2024 due to various offenses, including failure to register for military service.
