CABAR.asia
Uzbekistan:
"We simply want to work"
"We simply want to work"
Most migrants in Russia are citizens of Uzbekistan. They have left to another country to earn money, but worry that they can be sent to war.
30-year-old Daniyor Karimov was born in Andizhan region of Uzbekistan. He has a wife and two children back in his motherland, and he with his fellow villagers have come to the Republic of Altai to the construction site.
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We work and live here. It's very cold here and snows. After the war began, some migrants went to fight to earn money. But we don't care about money, we simply want to work quietly and go back home.
According to him, they have heard about cases when migrants who do not have documents and speak Russian poorly are forced or deceived into doing military service. Therefore, they have found persons who help them to process documents.
"We send Russian-speaking persons together with migrants who do not speak Russian. Because they can make them sign documents by fraud," Karimov said.
He said that after the war began many ethnic Uzbeks have returned back home. Daniyor also thinks about going back home.
"If I buy a ticket two months in advance, I can find a cheap one. We, citizens of Uzbekistan, have nothing do to with the war. We simply want to work, earn money and go back home," he said.
"We send Russian-speaking persons together with migrants who do not speak Russian. Because they can make them sign documents by fraud," Karimov said.
He said that after the war began many ethnic Uzbeks have returned back home. Daniyor also thinks about going back home.
"If I buy a ticket two months in advance, I can find a cheap one. We, citizens of Uzbekistan, have nothing do to with the war. We simply want to work, earn money and go back home," he said.
Saida Karimova. Photo: CABAR.asia
Saida Karimova is 43 years old, she lives in Sherabad district of Surkhandarya region, and worries about her brother, Nizom Karimov, who lives in Russia and obtained the citizenship there. He works in the construction sphere in Moscow region. In Uzbekistan, he has a wife and five children.
"He has worked in Russia for almost 10 years. He comes to Uzbekistan once in two-three years for 1-2 months, and then goes back to Russia again. After the war began, we have been very scared. We were frightened by different information on social media. We want my brother to go back sooner, we want him to be with his family. But he said that his children have grown up and he needs to work to pay their university fees and to pay their wedding expenses," Karimova said.
She worries that her brother can go to war in Ukraine.
"He has worked in Russia for almost 10 years. He comes to Uzbekistan once in two-three years for 1-2 months, and then goes back to Russia again. After the war began, we have been very scared. We were frightened by different information on social media. We want my brother to go back sooner, we want him to be with his family. But he said that his children have grown up and he needs to work to pay their university fees and to pay their wedding expenses," Karimova said.
She worries that her brother can go to war in Ukraine.
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After the war began, my father, who is almost 80, thinks about my brother every night. We worry every time when we hear that many of our compatriots are summoned to do military service. We fear that we can't do anything and my brother will have to go to the war.
According to Kommersant, referring to the analytical service of FinExpertiza audit and consulting network, the majority of migrants come to Russia from Uzbekistan (49.6 per cent) and Tajikistan (30.5 per cent). About 40 per cent of them stay in Moscow and Moscow region.
Currently, the number of Uzbek migrants in the country exceeds 1.5 million people. After the mobilisation was announced, some of them have returned to the motherland.
Currently, the number of Uzbek migrants in the country exceeds 1.5 million people. After the mobilisation was announced, some of them have returned to the motherland.
Нурфайзи Хайиткулов. Фото: CABAR.asia
According to Nurfaizi Khaiitkulov, chair of Dostlik residential district of Termez, nearly 200 residents of the district have worked in Russia, but nearly 50 persons have come back after the war in Ukraine began.
"We try to provide jobs to those who come back from Russia. We send women to the sewing factory, and men to construction sites. Families of our citizens working in Russia have worried about their close ones from the beginning of the war. We all worry about our citizens' lives," he said.
"We try to provide jobs to those who come back from Russia. We send women to the sewing factory, and men to construction sites. Families of our citizens working in Russia have worried about their close ones from the beginning of the war. We all worry about our citizens' lives," he said.
According to the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan, recruitment of a person for participation in an armed conflict or military operations in the territory of another state or on its side with the purpose to derive financial or other personal profit is a crime punishable by imprisonment from 5 to 15 years.
However, according to unconfirmed information, there were ethnic Uzbeks among Russian military men captured in the Ukrainian town of Balakliya. The video appeared on the internet in early September. Both men who served in the Russian army, said they were from Samarkand.
According to one of them, he worked in Russia for five years and he was forced to go to the war because he worked there illegally. The second men said he was a student and agreed to take part in the military action for money.
However, according to unconfirmed information, there were ethnic Uzbeks among Russian military men captured in the Ukrainian town of Balakliya. The video appeared on the internet in early September. Both men who served in the Russian army, said they were from Samarkand.
According to one of them, he worked in Russia for five years and he was forced to go to the war because he worked there illegally. The second men said he was a student and agreed to take part in the military action for money.
Screenshot from the video
The Embassy of Uzbekistan in Moscow and the Agency for Foreign Labour Migration urge their compatriots in Russia not to participate in various voluntary battalions and warn of consequences.
The diplomatic mission asks not to trust fake information that migrants who refuse to sign contracts for military service would have their work permits cancelled and they would be deported.
"We urge the citizens of Uzbekistan staying in the territory of Russian Federation not to follow any invitations, but to pay attention only to official information," according to the embassy's message.
The diplomatic mission asks not to trust fake information that migrants who refuse to sign contracts for military service would have their work permits cancelled and they would be deported.
"We urge the citizens of Uzbekistan staying in the territory of Russian Federation not to follow any invitations, but to pay attention only to official information," according to the embassy's message.
cabar.asia
2022
2022