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Migrants from Central Asia in Russia: Fines, Bribes and Lawlessness
The situation of migrants in the Russian society has always been a challenge. According to the Federal Migration Service, over 10 million migrants reside in Russia legally, whereas three million reside there illegally. Most of them come from Central Asia. Nearly 1 million migrants have a temporary residence permit or permanent residence permit.
According to lawyer Anton Zenchenko, migrants from Central Asia are a as bait for the Russian police officers. They can stop them for no reason just to check their documents, etc.
Most of the Russian politicians stand for the strict visa regime with Central Asian states because migrants in Moscow, according to the official statistics, commit every seventh homicide and almost half of all rape cases. However, Russia cannot do without migrants because the national economy will go down in this case.
According to lawyer Anton Zenchenko, migrants from Central Asia are a as bait for the Russian police officers. They can stop them for no reason just to check their documents, etc.
Most of the Russian politicians stand for the strict visa regime with Central Asian states because migrants in Moscow, according to the official statistics, commit every seventh homicide and almost half of all rape cases. However, Russia cannot do without migrants because the national economy will go down in this case.
Migrants in Russia are exposed to systematic unjustified persecution, which is usually corruption, according to the activist and student of Tajikistan, Okhunzhon Rakhimov, who is the student of St. Petersburg. He responded to the appeals of migrants from Uzbekistan and was arrested as a result.
"It was an average day, I was walking past the crowd of nine migrants and police officers. I wanted to help the migrants from Uzbekistan because they didn't speak Russian.
Because I didn't let those police officers extort money from the Uzbeks and tried to protect our migrants, they detained me and held me in the cell for two days. I asked them to give a call to the Consul-General of Tajikistan in St. Petersburg, to provide me with a lawyer, and to call to the university. But they did nothing.
They detained me in the cell illegally. They undressed me and I spent a night on the ground and had hypothermia. Moreover, they filed the administrative offence case against me. Now I want to protect my honour in court."
"It was an average day, I was walking past the crowd of nine migrants and police officers. I wanted to help the migrants from Uzbekistan because they didn't speak Russian.
Because I didn't let those police officers extort money from the Uzbeks and tried to protect our migrants, they detained me and held me in the cell for two days. I asked them to give a call to the Consul-General of Tajikistan in St. Petersburg, to provide me with a lawyer, and to call to the university. But they did nothing.
They detained me in the cell illegally. They undressed me and I spent a night on the ground and had hypothermia. Moreover, they filed the administrative offence case against me. Now I want to protect my honour in court."
Gulya of Kyrgyzstan has worked in Moscow for a few years. Now she has returned back. You'd better bribe a police officer as you'll have less then," she said.
"I worked at a hostel in the centre of Moscow for a few years. I had neither a residence permit or a patent. But it's a usual thing for Russia. Once, the hostel was checked and my employer bribed the police officer then. Later on, he deducted this amount from my salary every month. All those working in Russia know this way to 'solve' the problem.
However, those people who have legal documents also pay bribes because police officers will always find the reason. They fined my husband who was a driver at Yandex.taxi for alleged driving under the influence and even wanted to withdraw his driving permit. My husband gave them all the money he had in his pocket and a mobile phone. He has never drank alcohol, but we wouldn't prove anything because this was not our territory.
We left Russia because we got tired from discrimination and paying bribes."
"I worked at a hostel in the centre of Moscow for a few years. I had neither a residence permit or a patent. But it's a usual thing for Russia. Once, the hostel was checked and my employer bribed the police officer then. Later on, he deducted this amount from my salary every month. All those working in Russia know this way to 'solve' the problem.
However, those people who have legal documents also pay bribes because police officers will always find the reason. They fined my husband who was a driver at Yandex.taxi for alleged driving under the influence and even wanted to withdraw his driving permit. My husband gave them all the money he had in his pocket and a mobile phone. He has never drank alcohol, but we wouldn't prove anything because this was not our territory.
We left Russia because we got tired from discrimination and paying bribes."
Mirbek Nazarov works as a deliveryman in Moscow. He said that money extortion from migrants is a criminal scheme.
"I've tried to get the status of a foreign worker 12 times. But I've failed. They have just bounced me back and forth and couldn't explain the reason.
Getting the official status of a foreign worker in Russia is a costly and often back-breaking process for most of migrant workers. Everyone knows about it and there's no use in complaining about it – you'll waste your time and shatter your nerves.
I am an educated person and I can stick up for myself. But as everyone says here, "You won't go against the system because the system will bring you down."
"I've tried to get the status of a foreign worker 12 times. But I've failed. They have just bounced me back and forth and couldn't explain the reason.
Getting the official status of a foreign worker in Russia is a costly and often back-breaking process for most of migrant workers. Everyone knows about it and there's no use in complaining about it – you'll waste your time and shatter your nerves.
I am an educated person and I can stick up for myself. But as everyone says here, "You won't go against the system because the system will bring you down."
The citizen of Kyrgyzstan, Makhabat A., was detained at three a.m. and taken to the police station for personal identity. Afterwards, they told her she had fake registration documents, and if she doesn't pay 6,000 roubles (81 dollars) to the police officer, she would be deported.
"I had original registration documents, but no one was going to verify them. They started to register me for deportation. I am a lash maker at a beauty salon and I provide my family. I feared they could deport me and asked my friend to bring the money to me. At last, the police officers agreed to take 3,000 roubles (40.6 dollars) and released me in the morning.
Afterwards, I am scared of going outside evenings or at night. I get the jitters every time I see people in police uniform. The same happens to me in the underground. Once they check if people are wearing masks, they approach migrants and start shouting and imposing fines. Sometimes I feel like covering all my face to avoid hate."
"I had original registration documents, but no one was going to verify them. They started to register me for deportation. I am a lash maker at a beauty salon and I provide my family. I feared they could deport me and asked my friend to bring the money to me. At last, the police officers agreed to take 3,000 roubles (40.6 dollars) and released me in the morning.
Afterwards, I am scared of going outside evenings or at night. I get the jitters every time I see people in police uniform. The same happens to me in the underground. Once they check if people are wearing masks, they approach migrants and start shouting and imposing fines. Sometimes I feel like covering all my face to avoid hate."
The citizen of Kyrgyzstan, Maksat, has worked in Russia for 5 years. According to him, if one does not pay a bribe, police officers try to charge the one with many violations. If the documents are expired, the bribe gets higher.
"Police officers usually catch non-Slavic people in the underground, take them to a separate room and question them for a few hours. Migrants who do not speak Russian have troubles. It is useless to argue with police officers. As practice shows, if you argue, you'll be taken to the police station.
It's no secret that migrants raise money to pay the bribe and live without problems. I always pay bribes, even if my documents are fine."
"Police officers usually catch non-Slavic people in the underground, take them to a separate room and question them for a few hours. Migrants who do not speak Russian have troubles. It is useless to argue with police officers. As practice shows, if you argue, you'll be taken to the police station.
It's no secret that migrants raise money to pay the bribe and live without problems. I always pay bribes, even if my documents are fine."
Bekhruz Aslonov came to Moscow a few years ago. His friend and colleague was deported to Tajikistan. The reason was the expired registration.
"We always try to pay our bills on time because we know where we live. But we don't always get our salary on time. Sometimes, our friends were detained in special reception centres for two months for no reason. Thereafter, their migration card was expired because we can stay in Russia for 90 days only. We have lawyer friends who tell us not to argue with law enforcement officers."
"We always try to pay our bills on time because we know where we live. But we don't always get our salary on time. Sometimes, our friends were detained in special reception centres for two months for no reason. Thereafter, their migration card was expired because we can stay in Russia for 90 days only. We have lawyer friends who tell us not to argue with law enforcement officers."
However, once he was placed into the police car, a crowd of fellow countrymen of that man surrounded it. The migrants were shouting loud and attacked the police officers. As they did not encounter resistance, they simply released the alleged violator.
After the incident, the Russian police opened two criminal investigations under articles 116 of the Criminal Code of Russia ("Bodily blows") and 213 ("Disorderly conduct"). If the conflict participants are proven guilty in court, they can face up to two years in prison under the former article and up to seven years under the latter article.
After the incident, the Russian police opened two criminal investigations under articles 116 of the Criminal Code of Russia ("Bodily blows") and 213 ("Disorderly conduct"). If the conflict participants are proven guilty in court, they can face up to two years in prison under the former article and up to seven years under the latter article.
Police officers check documents of migrants in Moscow's underground
According to lawyer Parkhan Ilkin, the demand of police officers to present documents is not a violation. But the Russian Ministry of Interior Affairs from time to time spreads migrantophobic myths about the allegedly high crime rate among migrants, and in most cases they find original documents invalid.
"The migrants whose rights are violated can send a complaint to the prosecutor's office. Based on article 10 of the Federal Law "On public prosecution office of the Russian Federation" dated January 17, 1992, every complaint must be investigated and the results of such investigation must be provided. If any violations of the valid law are found, the prosecutor must take measures of prosecutorial response. However, there are lots of such complaints, and usually no one pays attention to them," the lawyer said.
"The migrants whose rights are violated can send a complaint to the prosecutor's office. Based on article 10 of the Federal Law "On public prosecution office of the Russian Federation" dated January 17, 1992, every complaint must be investigated and the results of such investigation must be provided. If any violations of the valid law are found, the prosecutor must take measures of prosecutorial response. However, there are lots of such complaints, and usually no one pays attention to them," the lawyer said.
"One should always ask the police officers to give their names, and to provide their identity. If the migrant is right, they can use their phone to record the illegal actions of police officers. It can serve as an evidence in court."
Aleksandr Chaiko, human rights defender
Aleksandr Chaiko, human rights defender
Migrants usually become victims of discrimination in their rights to housing, education, health, labour and social security. For example, it is not rare when citizens of the Central Asian region cannot rent an apartment in Moscow because property owners prefer to take in 'Slavonic' tenants.
Also, there are stories when police officers organise mass illegal migration themselves. In 2019, police officers of Moscow registered over 50 thousand migrant workers as migrants in an 'unlimited' house for bribes that totally amounted to nearly 50 million roubles (678.5 thousand dollars).
Also, there are stories when police officers organise mass illegal migration themselves. In 2019, police officers of Moscow registered over 50 thousand migrant workers as migrants in an 'unlimited' house for bribes that totally amounted to nearly 50 million roubles (678.5 thousand dollars).
Four years ago, a non-profit entity Tong Jahoni, launched a new legal assistance project in Moscow to help migrants. According to Valentina Chupik, the head of Tong Jahoni, foreign migrants can contact their organisation at any time and ask them for advice.
Here are the numbers:
+7 926 834 7602, +7 903 148 9636 – in Russian and English,
+7 903 169 9161, +7 903 169 2920 – in Russian and Tajik,
+7 903 799 0291 – in Russian and Uzbek.
The human rights defenders of this non-profit entity teach migrants to talk to the Russian police and hold trainings from time to time.
Here are the numbers:
+7 926 834 7602, +7 903 148 9636 – in Russian and English,
+7 903 169 9161, +7 903 169 2920 – in Russian and Tajik,
+7 903 799 0291 – in Russian and Uzbek.
The human rights defenders of this non-profit entity teach migrants to talk to the Russian police and hold trainings from time to time.
Migrants are talking to police officers in Moscow
"We suggest creating adaptation centres that would check future migrants for criminal record, their knowledge of Russian, of laws and rules of behaviour in Russia before they depart to Russia. This will let migrant workers feel themselves more comfortable in our territory and avoid stressful situations," said Vadim Kozhenov, the president of the Migrants Federation of Russia.
To improve migration law, the President of Russia approved the Concept of State Migration Policy until 2025 in October 2018. Now the Russian Ministry of Interior Affairs will bind all migrants who are going to stay in Russia for a long time to receive the universal electronic document that is valid for ten years. It will contain graphic and text information about its holder.
To improve migration law, the President of Russia approved the Concept of State Migration Policy until 2025 in October 2018. Now the Russian Ministry of Interior Affairs will bind all migrants who are going to stay in Russia for a long time to receive the universal electronic document that is valid for ten years. It will contain graphic and text information about its holder.
This publication was produced as part of the mentorship programme under the Development of New Media and Digital Journalism in Central Asia project delivered by the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) with support from the UK Government. It does not necessarily reflect the official views of IWPR or the UK Government
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