A year after the terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall concert hall near Moscow, the trial against the alleged participants continues. Charges have been brought against 27 people, including four direct participants in the attack. Many of them are citizens of Tajikistan who were temporarily working in Russia. During interrogations, they admitted that they agreed to participate in exchange for money. The terrorist attack killed 146 people and injured 550.
After the terrorist act, a wave of xenophobia against citizens of Central Asian countries arose in Russia. The parliament, which adopted a number of measures against illegal migration, also contributed to these sentiments. One of the most controversial among them is the ban on the education of children of migrants in Russian schools, unless they pass an exam in the Russian language.
The terrorist attack was organized by "Vilayat Khorasan"
At least 5,000 people were in the building at the time of the attack - all tickets for the concert of the group "Picnic" were sold out. When the terrorist attack began, many spectators had already taken their seats in the hall. The terrorists opened fire on the spectators and set the building on fire. It was later established that among the victims there were people who suffocated from the fire, and that the terrorists managed to safely retreat, as the special forces sent to the hall were delayed due to heavy traffic.
Responsibility for the attack on "Crocus City Hall" took over the terrorist group "Vilayat Khorasan" - the Afghan branch of the international terrorist organization "Islamic State" (IS). This group views Russia as an enemy due to Moscow's involvement in the Syrian conflict on the side of President Bashar Assad and in the historical context of Russia's military operations in Afghanistan and Chechnya.
Anti-immigrant sentiments
Russian state media widely publicized the story of 15-year-old student Islam Khalilov, who worked at "Crocus" as a cloakroom attendant. During the terrorist attack, he managed to get more than a hundred people out of the building. The media drew attention to the fact that the teenager's parents are from Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. After the media popularized his feat, the boy was awarded the Russian Medal of Merit, and musician Alisher Morgenstern gave him one million rubles. However, that was the end of attention to Khalilov's origin. Meanwhile, far-right media outlets are calling for violence against Central Asian migrants and demanding that such families be deported.
The hostility towards Central Asians goes beyond verbal insults. For example, in Blagoveshchensk, unknown individuals set fire to a shop owned by Tajik citizens. In another incident in Kaluga, three Tajik citizens were beaten by a group of unidentified men. David (name changed - ed.) from Uzbekistan told DW that strong anti-immigrant sentiments have been felt in the country since the first days after the terrorist attack. For example, false reports are spreading that "people with a non-Slavic appearance will be beaten". And many migrants are afraid to go out into the streets.
Tighter anti-migration legislation
After the terrorist attack, the State Duma adopted a number of laws, ostensibly to tighten control over migration. One of them simplified the procedure for expelling illegal migrants - the police can now act without going to court. At the same time, it became more difficult to obtain both residency and a temporary residence permit obtained through marriage. And the children of migrants who have not passed the Russian language exam cannot study in Russian schools.
Organizing illegal migration to Russia is also being punished more severely - this is now treated as a serious crime, the penalty for which is eight to 15 years in prison. And the courts are now considering the illegal status of migrants as an aggravating circumstance.
Persecution of migrants in Russia
At the same time, Russian law enforcement agencies launched a large-scale campaign against migrants, especially against labor migrants from Central Asian countries. Mass checks by migration services have become more frequent in Russian cities with a population of millions: law enforcement officers are raiding construction sites, markets, hostels and dormitories.
Those detained in such actions are either expelled from Russia or forced to fight in Ukraine. They sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense, which allows them to quickly obtain a Russian passport. In 2024, over 157,000 foreigners who violated the law were forcibly expelled from Russia - 45 percent more than a year earlier. And the number of people refused entry to Russia in 2024 was over 267,000 - nearly 94,000 more than in 2023, according to data from the Russian Interior Ministry.
David is deprived of the right to return to Russia
David from Uzbekistan worked in Russia completely legally - he was employed in the trade sector. The terrorist attack at "Crocus City Hall" finds him in his homeland, where he is spending his vacation. After that, however, he is not allowed to return to Russia, which he explains precisely by his anti-migrant sentiments.
At the border, David was searched and interrogated by plainclothes police officers who offered him to sign a contract with the Russian army. He believes that these were people from the FSB. After he refused to fight in Ukraine, he was not allowed to enter Russia. "I still don't know the reasons for the refusal, they never gave me anything in writing", he says. Along with him, several other people were refused entry to Russia and had to return home. David says that he felt wanted in Russia, since there is currently an acute shortage of labor there.
Author: Alexey Strelnikov