After Tajiks, citizens of Uzbekistan are not allowed into Russia - MMI

In recent days, Russian border guards have been barring not only Tajiks but also immigrants from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan from entering the country at airports and other checkpoints. This was reported by "Exclusive.kz".

The Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have not yet commented on this situation.

Human rights activist Valentina Chupik stated that mass arrests of migrants attempting to enter the country began on April 24, and by May 1, approximately 4,500 people were detained at Russian airports, with a similar number being denied entry at ground checkpoints.

"Only a quarter of those detained and denied entry to Russia are citizens of Tajikistan, while over two percent are immigrants from Uzbekistan," said the human rights defender.

According to Chupik, the majority of those arrested will be deported within one or two days. However, in some instances, deportation may take up to a week.

Since April 24, the human rights defender has received about two hundred appeals from migrants detained by border guards. The situation is dire, with individuals experiencing hunger and thirst, and even accessing basic amenities such as toilets proves challenging. Moreover, their phones were confiscated without explanation.

"At present, women wearing headscarves or bearded men without mustaches are being denied entry into Russia. Such a large-scale expulsion of individuals seeking employment in the country has never been witnessed before," Chupik informed the publication.

It's worth noting that 643 citizens of Tajikistan were deported from Moscow's Vnukovo International Airport in the last four days.