After Russia’s launched the so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine on February 24, thousands of Russians left their cities and villages, fearing the announcement of mobilization or as a sign of disagreement with the authorities. According to Rosstat, more than 419,000 Russians left the country in the first half of the year alone.
On September 21, President Putin announced the beginning of a partial mobilization. There has been a sharp jump in prices for air tickets from Russian cities to neighboring countries, and kilometer -long queues of men of military age have formed at the borders with Armenia, Kazakhstan and Georgia. The main flow this time reportedly fell on the countries of Central Asia.
CABAR.asia says that according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan, as of October 4, 2022, more than 200,000 Russian citizens entered the country from Russia. However, it is worth noting that 147,000 Russians left Kazakhstan in a short time after their arrival and use it as a transit country to move to other countries like Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
The Ministry of Digital Development of Kyrgyzstan announced the registration of 20,000 Russian citizens in late September and early October. CABAR.asia, however, says this figure is much higher, since there is a visa-free regime between the countries. Other countries have not yet published data on arrivals.
Among all the countries of Central Asia, due to the proximity of the borders, the main flow was taken over by Kazakhstan. The country has more than 50 border points with Russia.
CABAR.asia says that according to the Ministry of Digital Development of Kyrgyzstan, 184,000 Russians have arrived in the country since the beginning of the year.
As far as Uzbekistan is concerned, the border service of the country has not published reliable data on the number of Russians who arrived. However, as in other countries of Central Asia, there is an influx of Russian citizens and an increased demand for housing. Already in March of this year, almost 2,000 Russians from the IT sector moved to Tashkent, which affected the housing market.
Despite its remoteness from Russia, Tajikistan has also become a place of migration for Russians. CABAR.asia says tickets in the direction of Moscow-Dushanbe rose from 150 to 2000 US dollars. Rooms in hotels are booked for the coming weeks, and an unusually large number of Russians appeared on the streets.
The country’s leadership reportedly did not react to what was happening, although the arrival of foreigners also caused an increase in rental housing, as in other countries of Central Asia.
The society welcomes visitors with hospitality, and the “Relocation to Tajikistan” help chat has already gathered more than 5 thousand subscribers, which provides up-to-date information for Russians.
At the same time, the mobilization concerns the citizens of Tajikistan directly, since dual citizenship with Russia is officially allowed in the country. Many military professionals from Tajikistan with Russian citizenship reportedly take part in the fighting. Over the past five years alone, the number of Tajikistanis who have received Russian citizenship has amounted to more than 200,000 people. After the mobilization was announced, hundreds of Tajikistanis living in Russian cities declared on agendas and demands to appear at the military registration and enlistment office. Given the difficulty of buying tickets back home, many of them have nowhere to run from the war. Migrants are the most vulnerable and can be recruited by private military companies or contracted in exchange for citizenship. The Embassy of Tajikistan has already warned about criminal liability for participation in hostilities in the territory of another country.
CABAR.asia notes that it is worth noting the proposal of a member of the State Duma Human Rights Council on compulsory military service for new Russian citizens from Central Asia. In case of refusal, it is proposed to deprive citizenship not only of the conscript, but of his entire family. Such bills are just the same aimed at migrants who have recently received Russian citizenship.
