The kremlin Is Preparing Tough Restrictions for Migrants

In the context of the protracted war against Ukraine and increasing social tensions within the country, russian authorities are increasingly using anti-migration rhetoric as a means of political distraction. The state duma is preparing a series of legislative initiatives aimed at restricting the rights and freedoms of migrants, especially those from Central Asian countries residing in russia. Despite their stated goal of security and demographic stability, these measures are tools of internal mobilization through the cultivation of an image of an “external enemy”.

In the sphere of security, MPs propose reporting foreigners who have received emergency medical care without insurance to the ministry of internal affairs, as well as deporting those who participate in election campaigning. At the same time, digital registration of migrants and control over the families of newcomers are being discussed.

Special attention is being paid to the technological aspect of control. In St. Petersburg, a video surveillance system capable of recognizing the ethnic origin of passers-by is being tested. Algorithms analyze racial and national characteristics, making it possible to respond quickly to the “concentration of certain nationalities” in public spaces.

Anti-migration rhetoric is increasingly intertwined with internal propaganda, which attempts to shift public attention away from the war and toward “external threats”. Xenophobia, legalized through legislative initiatives, is turning into a tool for the political survival of the regime that is losing control over economic and social stability.