Russia’s main right-wing populist party proposes to toughen control over migrants

The Liberal-Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), which is nothing of liberal but the main right-wing populist party in Russia, proposes to toughen control over the stay of migrants in the country following the brutal killing of a 17-year-old girl in Novosibirsk.   

A statement posted on the LDPR’s official website says, “The tragedy that took place in Novosibirsk, where, according to media reports, a 27-year-old citizen of Tajikistan Khoushnoud Hamroyev out of jealousy stabbed his 17-year-old girlfriend to death, is another confirmation that the law on expulsion and prohibition of entry must be strictly enforced.”

In this regard, the LDPR will prepare proposals at the legislative level on tightening the rules on the forced expulsion of migrants and strengthening control over their staying in Russia.  

“Russia is a hospitable country but we don't need imports of crime!. And the need for labor resources cannot be an excuse to turn a blind eye to such “bells”,” says the statement.  

LDPR representatives also propose to consider as part of public discussions introduction of mandatory quarterly drug testing for migrants, who are in Russia for more than 3 months, at the expense of the migrants themselves.   

The number of crimes committed by migrants in Russia has reportedly increased.  According to data from the Interior Ministry of Russia, the number of crimes committed by foreign citizens in Russia in the first quarter of this year increased by 8% compared to the same period last year.        

In January-March this year, foreign citizens and stateless persons reportedly committed 10,400 crimes in the territory of Russia, which is 8.1% more than in the same period last year.  

At the same time, the number of crimes against foreign citizens has increased by 6.0 percent over the same three-month period. 

The Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) is a right-wing populist and ultranationalist political party in Russia. It succeeded the Liberal Democratic Party of the Soviet Union (LDPSU) in Russia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.  The party was led by Vladimir Zhirinovsky since its inception until his death in April 2022.  Opposing both communism and neoliberal capitalism of the 1990s, and advocating for monarchism albeit in a constitutional form, the party scored a major success in the 1993 Duma elections with almost 23% of the vote, giving it 64 seats of the 450 seats in the State Duma (Russia’s lower chamber of parliament).  In the 2021 elections, the party received 7.55% of the vote, giving it 21 seats.

Despite the party's name, it is frequently described as "neither liberal nor democratic nor a party". The LDPR was centered around Zhirinovsky,  and is often described as populist,  nationalist, or ultranationalist.  It has been described as adhering to statism and authoritarianism.  The party, as part of the "systemic opposition", is considered to be traditionally loyal to the Kremlin.