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Asia Times
October 23, 2001
New fears arise over repatriation of ethnic Russians
By Sergei Blagov
MOSCOW - The Kremlin is encouraging the repatriation of millions of ethnic Russians who found themselves minorities in other former Soviet republics in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. But with the ongoing US air strikes against Afghanistan, some Russian officials fear that the move could spark uncontrolled migration from Central Asia.
"The violence in Afghanistan may spark huge refugee outflows," said Andrei Nikolayev, chairperson of the security committee of the Russian State Duma, the lower chamber of parliament. "Up to 5 million Afghans may flee to Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan," he was quoted as saying by Interfax last week. The influx could become a humanitarian disaster since many Russian-speakers may seek asylum in Russia, Nikolayev said.
The Kremlin is "interested in the repatriation of Russians living abroad", said President Vladimir Putin. He also promised to defend the rights and cultural heritage of millions of Russians who suddenly found themselves outside Russia following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
In an address to the Congress of Compatriots in Moscow on October 11-12, Putin acknowledged that Russia has done "little to help" Russian-speakers abroad in the past decade. "No obstacles should prevent us from feeling that we are a unified people," he said. The congress brought together 600 representatives of Russian-speaking communities in 47 countries, estimated at 25 million people.
"Our people must have equal rights with the citizens of the countries in which they live," said Putin, referring to the allegations of discrimination against Russian-language schools and media outlets in other former Soviet Republics.
State Duma chairperson Guennady Seleznyov promised to draft a new citizenship bill before year's end to facilitate naturalization of those Russians returning from the other former Soviet states.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, millions of Russians in Central Asia became foreigners overnight, said Viktor Mikhailov, chairperson of the Slav movement in Uzbekistan. "It is sad that now the Russian Embassies in Central Asian capitals view us as Mongols, Chinese, or Angolans in terms of visa or citizenship application process," he told Russia's channel-6 television.
In response, Dmitry Rogozin, chairperson of the international relations committee of the Russian State Duma, suggested facilitating visa and citizenship approval for ethnic Russians abroad. He also proposed to set up an international organization to defend the rights of Russian-speaking minorities outside Russia.
A few years ago, Rogozin used to describe perceived discrimination against Russian minorities in the other former Soviet states as "racism". But following his election to parliament - which he fought on the ticket of protecting Russian-speakers overseas - Rogozin's statements became less radical.
Russia's flamboyant politician and leader of Liberal-Democratic Party Vladimir Zhirinovsky dismissed the gathering as a "Potyomkin congress", full of empty talk. "The congress was designed to camouflage the inability of Russian government officials to help our compatriots living abroad," he argued.
There were other strong statements as well. "Russia should review ties with those states, which discriminate against ethnic Russian," Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov said on October 12. He described Latvia's and Estonia's policies towards Russian minorities as "outright apartheid", and lashed out at what he described as "language discrimination" in Ukraine.
In 1998, Luzhkov called on Russia to boycott Latvian goods. Twenty percent of Latvia's gross domestic products (GDP) come from transit fees of Russian oil and other goods.
Latvia's new legislation requires the use of Latvian at public functions and in business, even those involving only Russian speakers. Moscow condemned laws mandating the use of the Latvian language passed by parliament in Riga as a "discriminatory" step against the country's Russian-speaking minority, who make up 40 percent of Latvia's 2.5 million population.
Most Russian speakers moved to Latvia during the Soviet era, and speak little or no Latvian. They complain the new law will hamper their businesses and deepen tensions between Russians and Latvians. In 1999 Latvia backed down from enforcing a new language bill that Russia and the European Union called discriminatory. However, the plight of Russian speakers remains a major irritant in relations between Moscow and Riga.
Apart from Latvia, Russia is also concerned over the rights of some half a million Russian speakers in another Baltic country - Estonia. Moscow has said there would be no improvement in Russian-Estonian relations until the problem of citizenship for the more than 300,000 ethnic Russians living in Estonia is resolved.
Although up to one-quarter of Ukraine's 50 million people view Russian as their mother tongue, the Ukrainian authorities are trying to limit the number of Russian-language schools and media outlets.
The Russian government also has pledged to address the problems related to the plight of ethnic Russians abroad. Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Khristenko proposed the creation of an agency to deal with ethnic Russians living overseas and asked Russian businessmen to help build ties with them.
"Russian diaspora has a considerable economic and political potential," Khristenko was quoted as saying by a local newspaper in Moscow.
This year the government plans to allocate 100 million rubles (some US$3.3 million) to help Russian-speakers abroad, particularly those living in other former Soviet states. The problem is returnees wait for years to get Russian citizenship and - during that period - cannot get decent jobs.
To improve the conditions of migrants, President Putin Monday ordered dissolution of Russia's migration ministry and transferred its functions to the interior ministry, which is now charged with tackling immigration issues, and dealing with the presence of nearly 1 million illegal aliens in Russia.
(Inter Press Service)
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