Following the terrorist attack on a Moscow concert hall on March 22, the Russian regime under Vladimir Putin has intensified repression against immigrants in the country. The escalation in mobilization against foreigners can be attributed to the fact that four individuals accused of the attack were identified as citizens of Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic in Central Asia. These individuals were reportedly in Russia on temporary work visas, some of which had expired.

In the aftermath of the attack, claimed by an Islamic State front, which caught the country’s authorities off guard and tarnished the image of Russian intelligence, the Kremlin launched a crackdown on immigrants. Around 40 migrants were arrested in an area 60 kilometers from Moscow, and a barbershop in Ivanovo, where one of the alleged terrorists worked, was targeted with xenophobic attacks.

Russian authorities, including internal security and migration agencies, conducted operations to persecute foreigners in the country, resulting in nearly 500 people being ordered to leave since the Moscow terrorist attack. Many immigrants in Russia hail from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, and their governments advised against participating in demonstrations or crowded events due to the risk of persecution or violence.

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