The chief of the Federal Security Service of Russia, Alexander Bortnikov, said on Tuesday that 11 people were detained in connection with the terrorist attack in the Crocus City Hall near Moscow. At the same time, he noted that “the circle of identified accomplices will be larger.”
Migrant-phobic discussions
If the first four arrested are citizens of Tajikistan, then Alisher Kasimov is a citizen of Russia, a native of Kyrgyzstan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his address to citizens on March 23, stated that terrorists do not and cannot have a nationality. However, the terrorist attack sparked discussions about strengthening controls against migrants and introducing a visa regime in Russia with Central Asian countries.
Vice Speaker of the State Duma and ex-candidate in the recent presidential elections Vladislav Davankov said that “serious work on migration legislation” is necessary.
“It’s too easy for people to come to our country not only for those who want to work here, but also for people who wish us outright evil,” he said. According to the politician, a whole range of measures is needed, including digital control of migrants and “deportation for the slightest offense.”
Chairman of the A Just Russia - For Truth party, Sergei Mironov said that he deemed it necessary to introduce a visa regime with the countries of Central Asia.
“In general, migration policy needs to be tightened. The president Putin was right to say that terrorism had neither religion nor nationality. But where these people were selected from is not accidental. Someone really wanted to rock the boat, create interethnic hatred and enmity in our country. This cannot be allowed,” said Sergei Mironov. “We must defend ourselves, our sovereignty and national security. To achieve this, we offer not only a visa regime, but also a restriction on patents. Moreover, I believe that for the duration of the SVO ("special military operation" - ed.) it is necessary to stop allowing any migrants into the territory of the Russian Federation. We also need to check everyone who is here and the reasons for their stay.”
State Duma deputy from the United Russia faction Mikhail Sheremet also proposed limiting entry into Russia during the SVO. Foreigners are “automatically becoming an object of interest for Western intelligence services,” Vedomosti quotes him as saying.
At the same time, not all politicians are ready to see migrants as a threat to national security. First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Nationalities Affairs Ildar Gilmutdinov from United Russia believes that it is necessary to fight those who ordered terrorist attacks, and not migrants.
Vice-Rector of the Financial University Alexander Safonov told Vedomosti about the economic consequences of refusing the services of migrants. According to him, the damage to the Russian economy will be “total.”
“Without migrants, construction sites will come to a standstill, not to mention the housing and communal services sector, which will also suffer extreme hunger. In addition, our migrants are also employed in industry. They provide logistics, public transport,” he explained.
The implementation of the proposed initiatives will lead to the fact that the labor market will “explode”, wages will “run up”, and inflation will follow them, Safonov said.
