In a recommendation issued earlier this week, the Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that in case of need to travel to Russia, its citizens should ensure that they carry all necessary documents and comply with all lawful requests of the host country's police.
"Russia is taking anti-terrorism measures by tightening immigration checks on people arriving from abroad," Bakyt Kadyrov, a senior diplomat and deputy head of the consular department of the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry, said on March 25.
Russian law enforcement officers stand outside the scene of a shooting at the Crocus City Hall theater in Krasnogorsk, outside Moscow, on March 23. Photo: AFP
Kyrgyzstan’s warning comes amid reports that Russian police are stepping up checks on migrants from Tajikistan and Central Asian countries, who make up the bulk of Russia’s migrant workforce. Uzbekistan has previously issued similar advice to its citizens in Russia or planning to visit, according to local media.
Seven suspects in the terrorist attack were identified as Tajik citizens. A man of Kyrgyz origin was also detained pending trial on March 26 on charges of providing accommodation to Tajik suspects.
Overview of the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall Theater in Russia. Video: Synthesis
Hundreds of thousands of Central Asians work in Russia and some said the attack made their lives there more difficult. Some passengers refused to get into taxis with Tajik drivers. Many passengers flying to Moscow from the capital of Turkmenistan were not allowed to board their flights.
Tajikistan's embassy in Moscow last weekend urged citizens to avoid crowded places, while Kazakhstan's president ordered increased security measures in the country following a deadly terrorist attack in Russia.
Location of Russia and Kyrgyzstan. Graphic: World Atlas
Thanh Tam (According to Reuters, Moscow Times )
Source link
Comment (0)