Will the ambassador resolve the issues of migrants in Russia?

Against the backdrop of numerous reports about the tightening of migration policies in Russia and discriminatory actions by Russian law enforcement agencies, the Ambassador of Tajikistan to Russia, Davlatshok Gulmakhmadzoda, held an online discussion with the Consuls General of Tajikistan in the cities of Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, St. Petersburg, Ufa, and the Consular Service of the embassy.

As reported on the Facebook page of the Embassy of Tajikistan in Russia, on August 29, 2024, a working meeting of the Ambassador of Tajikistan to Russia with the Consuls General of Tajikistan took place in a videoconference format.

During the discussion, issues related to the labor activities and living conditions of Tajik citizens in Russia, their problems at airports and border checkpoints when crossing the border of the Russian Federation, as well as ensuring the protection of citizens’ rights and their timely return to their homeland were addressed, the message states.

At the same time, the embassy did not specify which particular problems of migrants have been resolved so far.

Tajik citizens have previously faced difficulties in Russia. Special unwritten discriminatory rules apply to migrants from Central Asia. They are usually detained for hours at the border, undergoing interrogations and having their personal belongings checked.

After the bloody attack on “Krokus City Hall” and the hostage-taking at a Volgograd prison, Russian law enforcement agencies further intensified control over Tajik citizens and tightened migration policy.

In recent months, several laws have been discussed and proposed in Russia to tighten the country’s migration policy.

It was previously reported that after being held for several days without proper conditions, Russian authorities deported hundreds of Tajiks. Tajik migrants have also faced problems at land borders.

Additionally, parents of students at Russian universities complain that their children are facing difficulties when entering Russia. Some parents of Tajik students studying at Russian universities report that since August 26, Russian authorities have been creating obstacles for Tajik students entering the country. According to the parents, interrogations last for several hours, and based on the results of the interrogations, students may be allowed into the country or denied entry and sent back to their homeland.

Russian authorities have stated that delays in passport control for foreigners at the borders of the Russian Federation are temporary and are only “in connection with the intensification of measures to prevent terrorism in Russia.”

Tajik migrants from various cities and regions of Russia report that checks, detentions, and mass deportations of Tajiks have increased everywhere, people’s and employers’ attitudes towards them have changed, and they are subjected to verbal and physical attacks by the police and even ordinary residents.

Instead of helping migrants and solving the problem, the authorities blame the migrants themselves.

For example, the Ministry of Labor and Migration of Tajikistan justified the unlawful actions of the Russian authorities towards Tajik migrants. Thus, the Minister of Labor, Migration, and Employment of the Population of Tajikistan Gulnora Hasanzoada blamed the migrants themselves at a press conference, recommending that they comply with the laws of the host country.