Central Asian migrants in Russia facing threats, detention in wake of concert attack

Even before Russian authorities officially charged four men from Tajikistan with terrorism for gunning down concertgoers and trapping others in a deadly inferno at a venue outside of Moscow, there were fears that public anger over the attack could be directed at the millions of Central Asian migrants living and working in the country. 

A few hours before the badly beaten suspects were hauled to court after their violent interrogations, the president of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, told Russia's President Vladimir Putin that terrorists have "no nationality, no homeland and no religion."

In the days since the attack, there have been reports of Central Asian migrants being targeted by authorities in workplace raids, as well as subjected to hateful comments and, in a few reported cases, violence.  

The Tajikistan embassy in Russia warned its citizens over the weekend not to leave their homes unless necessary, and one migrant advocate told CBC News she has received thousands of inquiries from migrants who are on high alert and in some cases, facing increased racism and scrutiny from authorities. 

"I tell them not to go to mosques now and don't visit any shopping and entertainment centres if possible," said Valentina Chupik, a lawyer who provides assistance to Central Asian migrants in Russia. 

"People are getting detained on the street and in the subway."

On Wednesday, video surfaced online of Russian authorities detaining a few dozen migrants working at a warehouse near Moscow for the Russian online retail giant Wildberries. 

The images showed the workers being lined up and led away by police and Russia's national guard. 

It's estimated that nearly four million migrants from Central Asia live in Russia, according to statistics tallied by the University of Central Asia. Experts say many others are likely in the country working illegally. 

While Russia's economy relies on the migrants to fill jobs in the construction industry and service sector, advocates say the population is already marginalized and faces anti-immigration sentiment, which appears to have risen since the attack. 

In addition to the four suspected gunmen, police have also arrested three others from Tajikistan who they accuse of being complicit in the March 22 attack, which killed at least 143. An offshoot of ISIS, Islamic State Khorasan, claimed responsibility for the rampage. 

While Putin has referred to the attackers as "radical Islamists," he has not singled out the Tajik community and instead has tried to link the attack to Ukraine, and its western allies.

Reuters has reported that Russian investigators were in Tajikistan on Tuesday speaking to the families of those in custody. 

After an eighth man, from Kyrgyzstan, was arrested and accused of providing accommodation for the alleged shooters, Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Ministry put out an advisory urging its citizens to avoid unnecessary travel to Russia.