Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said the nation’s migrants are committing more crimes amid mass unemployment due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Medvedev told a meeting of the Security Council on August 3 that about 40 percent of migrants in Russia lost their jobs during the pandemic.
“This, of course, creates a breeding ground for the growth of crime, potentially, in this area,” he said.
Russia’s Interior Ministry on July 25 accused migrants of “egregious cases” of extremism, “gross violation” of public order, and unauthorized mass protests.
Two days later, on July 27, Russia’s Federal Security Service said it killed a Tajik migrant who it claims planned a terrorist attack in Moscow.
Most migrants in Russia come from Central Asia with many working in construction or cleaning city streets and buildings.
Russia banned the deportation of migrants at the end of April amid the pandemic.
Medvedev warned the state may tighten rules on immigration, including making companies more responsible for the actions of migrants they hire.