Thousands of Tajiks were deported from Russia in the first half of the year, and the exodus accelerated as authorities began to carry out comprehensive checks on immigrants following the March attack - in which four Tajik nationals are suspected, among others - at a concert hall near Moscow that killed 144 people.
Tajikistan's Minister of Labour, Migration and Employment, Gulnora Hasanzoda, said on Tuesday that Russia had deported more than 17.000 Tajik citizens in the first six months of 2024, Radio Free Europe's Tajik service reported.
Many migrant workers from Tajikistan and other Central Asian countries leave Russia voluntarily, fearing increased xenophobia and restrictions within Russia and travel to that country.
"In view of the events since the end of March, inspections and raids are constantly and intensively carried out on the border and inside Russia, and citizens return from the territory of that country for various reasons due to previously committed violations, non-compliance with the immigration law, lack of language skills," she said. Hasanzod.
There are millions of migrant workers from Central Asia working in Russia, who are employed in various sectors, including construction, street cleaning, retail and hospitality.
Hasanzoda said that overall data shows that labor emigration from Tajikistan has decreased by 16 percent in the first six months of this year.
Sharofidin Hodzhaev, a Dushanbe resident who was among the Tajiks sent home after arriving at a Moscow airport earlier this year, said the conditions were unfavorable for people just trying to earn money for their families.
"They don't give you the necessary documents on time, and then at the same time they expel you because you don't have them. Whether you have the documents or not, they give you problems," he told RSE.
Last month, amid reports of hundreds of Tajik migrants stranded at Russian airports, Tajik Civil Aviation Agency Director Habibulo Nazarzoda told reporters that about 3.400 Tajik migrant workers had been turned away from Russian airports in the previous six months.
Nazarzoda also cited alleged documentation problems as the main factor behind preventing Tajik nationals from entering Russia.
In April, officials in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan advised their citizens to refrain from traveling to Russia due to increased pressure on migrant workers from Central Asia after the attack on the Crocus City Hall concert hall in March.
Last month, Russian lawmakers approved several laws that dramatically limit the rights of migrant workers.
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