Since the terrorist attack on a Moscow concert hall on March 22, the Russian regime led by Vladimir Putin has increased repression against immigrants within the country.
The main reason that explains this growing mobilization against foreigners is the fact that four people accused of the attack were identified by Russian authorities as citizens of Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic in Central Asia. According to government statements at the time, the detainees were in Russia on temporary work visas, some of which had expired.
The first effects of this Kremlin persecution policy were seen days after the massacre claimed by an Islamic State front, which took the country’s authorities by surprise and caused a crisis in the image of Russian intelligence, due to the lack of prevention of crime perpetrated by terrorists. . At the end of March, the regime arrested around 40 migrants in an area 60 kilometers from the Russian capital.
During the same period, the Russian press reported that a barbershop in the city of Ivanovo, where one of the alleged terrorists worked, was the target of attacks. The store owner told journalists that she received several death threats over the phone, with xenophobic messages.
Bodies linked to the country’s internal security and migration also conducted a series of operations aimed at persecuting foreigners residing in the eastern European country. Authorities carried out mass searches and charged people for allegedly violating migration laws. As a result, almost 500 people have been ordered expelled from the country since the terrorist attack in Moscow.
Many immigrants living in Russia come from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. With the growing persecution last month, the governments of these countries issued statements advising their citizens not to participate in demonstrations or any crowded event due to the risk of being persecuted or suffering some act of violence.
The measures taken by the Russian regime place dictator Putin in an increasingly delicate position, as immigrants occupy essential roles in the job market, especially while the country is at war.
The head of the Kremlin is trying to make the situation invisible in order to maintain national unity and a good image of a moderate leader, who represents the more than 190 ethnic groups in Russia. However, the persecution of foreigners is increasingly evident.
Days after the massacre in Moscow, Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov stated, without any evidentiary basis, that the number of crimes committed by immigrants in Russia had increased by 75% in the last year. The statement contradicts official data provided by the Russian Interior Ministry, which indicate a 9% drop in the period highlighted by Krasnov.
The NGO Human Rights Watch states that even before the March attack, the persecution of foreigners in Russia was already constant. A report last year reveals that Russian police racially profile non-Slavic migrants and ethnic minorities, subjecting them to unfounded identity checks and often prolonged detention.