Hundreds of thousands of Tajik nationals who have obtained dual Russian citizenship in recent years now face a dilemma to stay in Russia or to leave after Moscow announced a military mobilization amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service notes that they can either stay in Russia and risk being sent to fight in Ukraine or go back to Tajikistan where they face grinding poverty.
Many of them reportedly have a relatively comfortable life in Russia but they are afraid of being sent to war.
Many Tajiks with dual Russian citizenship have reportedly had to deal with widespread racism and corruption in Russia. However, they say that life in Russia is much better than in Tajikistan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a mobilization last month in a bid to bolster the ranks of Russia’s military forces in Ukraine. The move has prompted thousands of conscript-age Russians to flee abroad.
RFE/RL’s Tajik Service notes that the exact number of dual Tajik-Russian citizens drafted in the war is unknown. Tajikistan has reportedly warned its citizens against participating in foreign military conflicts. But Tajik lawyers have said such warnings do not apply to dual citizens.
Russia and Tajikistan signed an agreement on dual nationality in the mid-1990s. Facing a declining population and workforce, Russia has eased citizenship requirements in recent years.
