Tajiks are moving to Russia more than anyone else

According to Rosstat, migrants most often move to live in Russia from Tajikistan.

As reported by RBC, migrants most frequently relocate to Russia from Tajikistan. This country of origin was indicated by 31% of those who started living in Russia. Following Tajikistan are Kyrgyzstan (10%), Ukraine (9%), Armenia (9%), Kazakhstan (9%), and Uzbekistan (8%).

The typical migrant who has moved to Russia is a man (55%), of working age (76%), married (51.4%), and has a complete secondary education (39.4%), according to Rosstat data.

At the same time, in recent months, there have been increasing reports of intensified pressure from Russian law enforcement agencies on Tajik migrants. Tajik citizens complain that upon entering Russia, they are subjected to unprecedentedly harsh checks and interrogations. For several months now, entry into Russia has been complicated for Tajik migrants. Videos published on social media show Russian border guards strictly checking citizens of Tajikistan at both land borders and airports. Recently, hundreds of Tajiks have been denied entry and sent back to their homeland.

Special unwritten discriminatory rules apply to migrants from Central Asia. They are usually detained for hours at the border, undergoing interrogations and searches of their personal belongings.

Following the bloody attack on “Krokus City Hall” and the hostage-taking at a Volgograd colony, Russian law enforcement agencies have further tightened control over Tajik citizens and intensified migration policy. However, the authorities of Tajikistan have not attempted to help them resolve their issues, instead preferring to remain silent.

Against this backdrop, the Embassy of Tajikistan in Russia and the Embassy of Tajikistan in Belarus have advised Tajik citizens to refrain from traveling to Russia and Belarus. The reason is the implementation of a “heightened control regime for the entry of foreign citizens across the state border at land and air checkpoints,” noted the Tajik embassy.

The number of Tajik migrants in Russia is a constant topic of discussion among Tajik and Russian authorities. The government of Tajikistan in its reports, as well as the president in his speeches, always understate the number of Tajik migrants in Russia. During his last visit to Russia in the presence of Putin, Rahmon himself stated that only 500,000 citizens of Tajikistan live and work in Russia, some of whom are students, while others are workers in various professions. However, Putin immediately refuted this claim. According to unofficial data, the number of Tajik migrants in Russia exceeds two million.