Human rights activists report spike in xenophobia toward Central Asian migrants in Russia
According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), labor migrants from Central Asia have increasingly reported prejudice and violence following the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall last year.
A survey conducted by human rights activists primarily covered citizens of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, who reported unjustified detentions and other forms of pressure by Russian authorities and individuals, including far-right nationalist groups.
In its survey, HRW reported that after the attack, which left 144 dead and 551 wounded, Russian authorities introduced the following measures:
- Expanded police authority to deport migrants without court involvement.
- Introduced a rule requiring migrant children to pass a Russian language exam.
- Approved bans on hiring migrants for specific jobs in several regions.
- Authorized unjustified detentions of migrants and pressured them to fight in Ukraine under the threat of deportation.
Furthermore, physical attacks on male migrants and verbal abuse from far-right nationalists have become common in Russia. Even though Russian law prohibits incitement of ethnic hatred, this law is rarely enforced in cases involving Central Asian migrants. Most xenophobia-related cases that reach court are often classified simply as «insulting behavior,» the survey said.
HRW urged Russian authorities to adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward anti-migrant sentiment and revoke discriminatory laws violating migrants’ rights.
Human rights activists shared their research with the governments of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Russia. Only Kyrgyz authorities responded to the survey. On March 22, 2024, a group of terrorists attacked concertgoers at Crocus City Hall in the Moscow region. In the subsequent investigation, Russian law enforcement detained four Tajik citizens, accusing them of carrying out the attack. Later, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.
