Kyrgyzstan government again warns citizens against traveling to Russia – The Diplomat

On September 5, the Kyrgyzstan Foreign Ministry warned Kyrgyz citizens against traveling to Russia. This is the third such warning issued by Bishkek since the attack on Crocus City Hall in March, after which Russian authorities stepped up tightening regulations for migrant workers from Central Asia.

In the statementThe ministry appealed to Kyrgyz citizens to “temporarily refrain” from traveling to Russia unless they have “significant reasons” to do so due to the continuation of “additional security measures” and “strengthened control over the crossing of the state border by foreign citizens.”

Previous warnings were issued in March AND Power.

Kyrgyzstan maintains close relations with Russia, but the last few years have brought particular challenges.

Almost immediately after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, there were reports of Central Asians being forced or lured into joining the Russian military. These concerns deepened in September of that year when Moscow announced a partial mobilization, prompting Kyrgyzstan and most other Central Asian states to issue warnings to their citizens against participation in a foreign war.

The March 22 attack on Crocus City Hall, a concert hall in the Moscow suburb of Krasnogorsk, sparked an escalation in the enforcement of migration laws against Central Asians. The attack, in which four Tajik attackers killed 145 people, sparked a significant backlash against Central Asians across Russia.

Russia is a major destination for Central Asian migrant workers and is of particular importance to the economies of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. According to December 2023 Remittances to Tajikistan accounted for 48 percent of the country’s GDP (about $5.7 billion in 2023), according to the World Bank; remittances to Kyrgyzstan accounted for about 21 percent of GDP (about $2.6 billion in 2023). Millions of Central Asians travel to Russia each year, many for seasonal work or in construction, services, and manufacturing. Analysts point out that Russia’s economy relies on foreign workers in many respects, given its demographic decline.

However, since the Crocus City Hall attack, Russian lawmakers have pushed through a series of new regulations.

In MayKyrgyzstan President Sadyr Dzhaparov raised the issue of labour mobility directly with Putin during the Eurasian Economic Union meeting Supreme Eurasian Economic CouncilDzhaparov made his comments within the parameters of the EAEU, ostensibly a customs union that should allow Kyrgyz citizens access to the Russian labor market.

“For the Kyrgyz Republic, the issues of labour mobility are of fundamental importance, therefore we call on you to prevent violations or deterioration of the provisions of the EAEU Treaty. We cannot allow serious damage to the image of our association. It is necessary to strengthen the trust of our citizens and continue work on creating a single labour market,” Dzhaparov said.

In JulyTwo bills have been approved in the Russian State Duma. One requires military registration after receiving a Russian passport and introduces the possibility of losing citizenship in the event of failure to register for military service. The second bill introduces a new mechanism for deporting migrants that bypasses the court procedure.

During the approval of these bills, Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Almaz Imangaziev I met with this newly appointed Russian Ambassador Sergei Vakunov expressed concern over reports of an increase in the number of refusals of entry of Kyrgyz citizens at the Russian border. Kyrgyzstan Foreign Ministry statement However, it was also emphasized regarding the meeting that “the Kyrgyz side understands that the actions taken by the Russian side are aimed at ensuring security in the country.”

At the end of AugustFollowing the signing of the Russian laws, the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry issued a note explaining the new rules, in particular the new “expulsion system,” which is technically set to come into force in February 2025.

The note calls on Kyrgyz citizens to “put in order all their documents and settle all issues related to their legal stay in the territory of the Russian Federation in the near future” in order to avoid being included in the “register of controlled persons”, which is associated with a number of restrictions and possible deportation.

The situation for Central Asian migrants in Russia does not look to be improving anytime soon, prompting some to consider alternative destinations. For example, as Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska reported last month for Jellyfish BeetrootAn increasing number of Uzbeks decide to emigrate to Poland in search of work rather than to Russia.

Politicians from Russia Meanwhile, the A Just Russia – For Truth party has proposed a moratorium on granting Russian citizenship to Central Asians. This proposal is unlikely to be implemented, but it underscores the naive contempt with which Russian nationalists treat Central Asians.