Riots of hungry migrants are predicted in Russia - they urgently need to be taken to construction sites
Millions of migrant workers who are in Russian megacities, having lost their jobs due to quarantine, risk triggering an increase in crime. Already now we need to think about the formation of labor armies of guest workers.
Political scientist Semyon Uralov writes about this on his blog, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“Against the backdrop of bans, borders, self-isolation and passes, the topic of migrant workers has become completely lost. According to estimates, there are up to 5 million people in Russia. This problem is also relevant for Kazakhstan, but to a much lesser extent.
Moreover, migrants are concentrated precisely in large cities, which turn into traps during an epidemic.
It is pointless to hope for help from your republic for a migrant - national governments have neither the funds, nor the desire, nor the will. Theoretically, only Azerbaijan has the means to evacuate its citizens.
It is generally unclear what this army of disenfranchised and unemployed people should do. If you let the situation take its course, you won’t have to wait for anything but a surge in crime. Of course, a minority will go into domestic crime. But in an overstressed law enforcement system, even 1% will be enough,” the expert notes.
Uralov sees several models to relieve tension and get out of the situation:
“Three models are being looked at:
– for those who want to return to their republic, it is necessary to form trains that travel non-stop and cross borders along the “green corridor”;
- of those who remain in Russia, labor armies will have to be formed and sent to work away from large cities. It is clear that there will be no talk about market wages. Such migrants will become a labor force “for food”. Agricultural work and the construction of infrastructure - this is the area of effort for the labor migrant, whom his own republic abandoned;
“Those who have accumulated sufficient supplies will wait out the epidemic along with everyone else.”
The expert also notes that the issues of labor migrants can be resolved at the expense of funds and banks of the EAEU member countries, which have enough funds for this: “Today such scenarios may sound cynical, but if you don’t start dealing with the problem already, then tomorrow you will have to eliminate the consequences . The stronger the economic depression, the higher the likelihood of conflicts between the local population and migrants due to unemployment and domestic crime. There is no question of where to get funds - the financial reservoirs in the EAEU funds and banks are full.”
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