According to sources who spoke to Fontanka, more than 600 detainees have violated Russian immigration laws, and more than a hundred are at risk of deportation.
Mass raids were carried out near metro stations on Sunday evening, as well as at a popular location for New Year’s Eve celebrations in central St. Petersburg.
Last year, Russian police staged widespread raids across the country, in which migrant workers who had recently obtained Russian citizenship were arrested and forced to join the army.
Many migrants, especially from Central Asian countries, received military conscription on the spot, while others were forcibly taken to military recruitment centers.
Fontanka did not say whether the migrants detained on New Year’s Day had been conscripted into the army.
On the first day of last year Fontanka announced similar raids. At the time, security sources announced that law enforcement had carried out “preventive raids” due to violations of Russian immigration laws. Up to 2,000 people were detained, including numerous migrant workers of unknown origin.
2024-01-02 15:32:00
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