Russia is ramping up immigration enforcement to pressure migrants to join the frontline in Ukraine and increase deportations of people from various Asian countries. As part of the Kremlin’s efforts to bolster military strength, foreigners continue to be coerced into fighting in Ukraine–with many being threatened with deportation should they refuse to fight. And since the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack in Moscow in March 2024, xenophobic rhetoric targeting migrants from Tajikistan and other countries in Central Asia has ballooned, leading to “sweeping” raids that have resulted in thousands of people being locked up in the country’s sprawling immigration detention system. In February, legislation came into force creating a new “expulsion regime,” increasing authorities’ ability to deport without judicial oversight.
Although the Russian economy relies heavily on migrant labour, particularly from Central Asia, prejudice against migrants is persistent. According to the extremism monitor Sova Research Center, since 2023 Russia has witnessed an increase in hate crimes and racial violence. In particular, the Center reports that violence has targeted persons “visually perceived as ethnic outsiders”–such as migrants from Central Asia, persons from the Caucasus and, more broadly, persons with non-Slavic appearance. Anti-migrant sentiment is also reflected in polls conducted by the Levada Center, who in early 2025 found that fifty-six percent of Russians believe that Central Asians should either be completely blocked from the country, or only permitted to enter temporarily.
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Flooding the army with untrained civilians with low morale is exactly what countries do when everything is under control and they’re close to winning. Next step: General mobilization so every citizen has a chance to see first hand how great things are going.
You are one of those brave knights who refuse to take the /s!
I think its a pretty good easy choice between being deported from russia or dying for russia. Hard to believe people choosing the latter.
I mean i believe they are being coerced by jail to fight, but deport or fight? Hard to believe.
Well… the question is WHERE they would be deported to. If i have the choice to be deported to the bottom of the black sea… well, now fighting for russia would not look like THAT bad of a deal.
I hate to bring up the USA, but damn this sounds all too familiar.
Honest question: is Russia much better than these migrants’ origins?
If youre from central Asia going to Russia to earn money can be a way of getting out of poverty, also Russia is pretty big so there is also a lot of internal migration for that reason as well. Russia has seperate words for a Russian from the Russian culture and a Russian that is only Russian by citizenship. It’s not like these migrants come from democratic countries with free healthcare and accessible education, so in general it can look that way from certain angles.
Oh, I read it as deportation in camps. The choice seams easier, dying now on the front or going back to your original place and have a chance to live?
21st century Russia would turn Ivan the Terrible’s stomach.
