Russia: Xenophobia and vulnerability of migrants from Central Asia

This chapter examines the legal, social and political vulnerability of Central Asian labour migrants and asylum seekers in Russia, focusing on xenophobic public attitudes, abusive migration enforcement, weak refugee protections and cooperation with Central Asian governments in extradition and security cases. It argues that migrants are frequently scapegoated for economic and security problems despite their importance to the Russian economy, and calls for stronger rule-of-law safeguards, cultural inclusion and compliance with international human rights obligations.