Tajikist migrant workers are leaving Russia en masse after the attack on the concert hall near Moscow on March 22, reports "Reuters", citing Tajikistan's Ministry of Labour, Migration and Employment.
However, the ministry expects this outflow from Russia to be temporary.
We remind you that on March 22 in the concert hall "Crocus City Hall" in the Krasnogorsk region near Moscow, there was an armed attack that claimed the lives of at least 144 people. The group "Islamic State" claimed responsibility for the attack.
Some of the bombers turned out to be Tajik citizens. Tajikistan detained nine people suspected of links to the mass shooting.
Shakhnoza Nodiri, deputy head of the ministry, was quoted by the Russian state news agency TASS as saying that the ministry receives many calls from citizens of Tajikistan who are afraid and want to leave Russia. At the moment, more people are returning than leaving Tajikistan, commented Nodiri.
However, this outflow of migrant workers is linked to a labor shortage in Russia. Anton Glushkov, president of the National Association of Builders (NOSTROY), told Interfax News Agency that the shortage of workers in the construction industry has grown by 36% since the beginning of this year compared to 2022.
Russia's central bank said staff shortages and a subsequent surge in wages were among the risks to inflation that forced it to keep its key interest rate high.
According to the ministry's website, 652,014 labor migrants left the country in 2023, compared to 775,578 in 2022.