Russian President Vladimir Putin today called for a review of migration policy following the detention of Tajiks living in Russia in connection with the deadly attack on a concert hall outside Moscow that killed at least 144 people and injured hundreds, Reuters and BTA reported.
The "Islamic State" claimed responsibility for the mass shooting. – an Islamist group that once controlled vast swaths of Iraq and Syria. Russia has said it suspects Ukraine was linked to the attack, a claim denied by Kiev and rejected by Washington.
At least 12 people have been detained in Russia in connection with the attack, including four accused of the shooting. Most of them are Tajiks who lived and worked in Russia.
Putin told police chiefs that the attack was aimed at sowing discord, xenophobia and Islamophobia in Russia. However, he said immigration systems needed improvement as it was clear that work permits were sometimes issued to people with serious criminal records.
"We need to deeply and radically renew our approaches to migration policy," Putin said, adding that some people who barely know the Russian language or Russian culture are being allowed to work without proper checks.
"The decisive principle should be that only those who respect our traditions, language, culture and history can come to live and work in Russia."
Still, Russia's options for maneuvering in the field of migration are limited, Reuters commented.
Over the past few decades, millions of people from the former Soviet republics of Central Asia have flocked to Russia's biggest cities to take up jobs as taxi drivers, cleaners, hairdressers or beauticians. With Russia's population of 147 million projected to shrink in the coming decades, migrants play an important role in the economy, also working in heavy industry and agriculture.
"It is necessary to guarantee the interests and security of the state and society, to preserve and preserve inter-ethnic and inter-religious harmony, our cultural and linguistic identity, everything that is the strength of Russia," Putin said.
At least 277 languages and dialects are spoken in Russia. About 10-15% of the population of Russia are Muslims, according to Reuters.