Support The Moscow Times!

Moscow Police Detain Over 500 Migrants in Hostel and Mosque Raids

Moskva News Agency

Law enforcement authorities in Moscow detained over 500 migrants during raids on hostels and mosques in the city’s southeast, authorities said Tuesday.

The Moscow branch of Russia’s Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said the raids were aimed at “uncovering and combating channels of illegal migration.”

A video released by the law enforcement agency showed dozens of men lined up inside a building, after which they were led into a police van.

Authorities said more than 30 foreign citizens were deported or charged with administrative offenses. One person was on Russia’s federal wanted list, they added.

The military division of Russia’s Investigative Committee issued a separate statement saying the raids targeted naturalized citizens who failed to register for military service after receiving a Russian passport.

“More than 2,500 people were checked during the raids,” senior military investigator Oleg Vlasov told state media as he stood in front of dozens of detainees.

Vlasov said 40 naturalized Russian citizens were summoned to military enlistment offices, while 170 others were sent to police stations over immigration violations.

The Moscow raids followed similar mass detentions in the Kaliningrad and Smolensk regions in recent days, according to state media.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis 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