Support The Moscow Times!

1,400 Migrant Workers Detained in Raid on Illegal Hostel

The police detained almost 1,400 Tajik and Uzbek workers during a raid at an illegally built hostel in southeast Moscow, a news report said Friday.

Officers from the Federal Migration Service and the Federal Drug Control Service Thursday carried out the raid on the premises, located on Novokhokhlovskaya Ulitsa near the Tekstilshchiki metro station, Interfax reported.

"As a result of the operation 1,380 foreign nationals were escorted to local police stations for identification and to check their involvement in any previously committed crimes," a police spokesman said.

He said 1,310 reports had been issued, citing the workers for administrative violations related either to their illegal entry to Russia or violation of the terms of their stay.

A police sources said that instead of building a business and entertainment center with a hotel, as had been planned, the Turkish construction firm Enka built housing for foreign workers.

The firm lodged foreign citizens in 13 two- or three-story blocks surrounded by a metal fence.

The police raid revealed that the workers had been living in small rooms shared by eight to 10 people had and slept in bunk beds. Emergency exits in sleeping quarters were locked, while hallways were blocked with furniture.

Related articles:

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more